


The rise of the Sky

by MagicalGhost96



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Childhood Trauma, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Im afraid of heights but i apreciate the aesthetic non the less, M/M, Misunderstandings due to miscomunication, No beta we kayak like Tim, Original Avatar Character, Peter and his siblings all get a better life, Separation Anxiety, Siblings, Simon fairchild adopts all of them, Simon is Peters funky uncle and i will die on this hill, The Lukas are a fucking cult and i need to yell at it!!!!, The Lukases are a cult and they traumatize their childrens, Trauma, Weird Coping Mechanisms, You do not raise childrens like that, emotional distance at first due to trauma, fuck those guys - Freeform, i do love the ocean tho, i want nice things for them, i will see cannon and destroy it with my bare hands as many times as i need to, in my house we love some siblings being siblings, sadness too, slowly gets better, typical forsaken bullshit, you dont get over being isolated easily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27931564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalGhost96/pseuds/MagicalGhost96
Summary: A what if story about one of the eldest sisters Peter mentioned taking all of her younger siblings away from the Lukas family.How do things change with that decision?They change a lot.
Relationships: Judith Lukas & Aaron Lukas, Peter Lukas & The Vast, Simon Fairchild & Peter Lukas, background Elias Bouchard/Peter Lukas - Relationship
Comments: 9
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

Lydia was the second oldest child of the Lukases, first it was her sister Clara who was 16, then herself at 14, Judith with 10, Peter at 7 and Aaron with 5.

She was old enough to understand what her family was and what was expected of her just like Clara. The rest of their siblings were far too young to understand yet what they were trying to make of them.

The only thing they did know was that no one would come if they got hurt, the nannies and servants never stayed and any attempt at bonding ended bad for them.

It was easy to see that Aaron and Judith didn't have what was necessary to be a Lukas.

Both too close to each other and very likely to try and bond, it was sad to see in her opinion. Lydia had already learned her lesson about it with Clara when it was only them at first.

Then there was Peter who already was shaping up to be exactly what their mother wanted. She has seen very little of the woman but knows that Clara and her share her looks, same blonde hair and cool blue eyes. Judith, Peter and Aaron had their father’s black hair and grey eyes instead, a more Lukas look.

Indifference was what she sought, it still didn't stop her from the pangs of loss and loneliness that she would get in their house, unlike her Clara was quiet but had anger powering her, the kind of sharp and pointed words that could make someone wither and cry. She was a storm in disguise. 

Sometimes she imagined her sister finally snapping and setting the whole mansion on fire out of fury, but instead she took it on whoever she could. The staff was trained to ignore them, the rest of the family made itself scarce, so the only ones she could say anything to were their siblings.

Not out of any true malice, but out of sheer frustration and impotence about their situation.

With Judith and Aaron she was usually cold, but Peter? She resented him the worst, he was just what their parents wanted, quiet, reticent to any contact or bond, the perfect heir for the family cult. So she was more cruel in her comments whenever they crossed paths.

Lydia stayed out of it, she had ideas of what to do with her life and it was not to wither away in this place for much longer. Every chance she got she would steal money from their mother’s purse and explore to find a way to leave.

Clara did the same.

Hopefully they could get away soon.

Seeing Judith and Aaron cry was always upsetting for some backburner part of her brain, but she had to ignore them, Peter never cried and was content with his situation so she did not pay him any mind.

It was easier like that, none of them were really siblings in the long run, only a bunch of kids stuck on a mansion to become food or to feed something horrible. There were only two choices: to stay or to leave and she intended for the latter.

Lydia liked when they switched rooms and she got the ones that had a window to the outside, looking into the night sky and watching the stars. She managed to not feel so alone. The empty void of space was inescapable and it stretched on forever.

When she was younger and didn't know about fear gods, she liked to sit somewhere in hiding and hear Mr Fairchild speak about the sky, he described it as such a beautiful thing…

Lydia wanted to paint, so she took every piece of paper and used the single box of crayons one of her nannies got her before “going away” and drew the sky. A childish version of it, but it was comforting.

She folded the piece of fabric and put it in all her pockets so she could watch it whenever she felt like.

It's the only thing that hasn't been taken away since no one knew about it. It was lonely she knew and she hated it. She dreamed of an uncaring space where her house and problems were small dots in the distance.

Clara beats her to the punch and leaves during her fifteen birthday, leaving only a card with a goodbye on it. After deliberating she burns it and pretends nothing is wrong.

Judith tries to get Peter to play with her and Aaron, she sees her face crumble when he goes away and the boy walks calmly to the garden. Clara was right and he was just like the rest of the adults in the family, Lydia tries to detach herself from it.

It works fairly well until her worldview gets squashed and she is forced to have a reality check.

Knowing how her sibling cried was a normal thing in that house, Clara cursed softly under her breath, Judith sniffed too hard and Aaron had not managed to quiet his sobbing like the rest of them yet. So she freezes when she hears a very soft sob and sniff. It wasn't even loud and after she could hear no more. But she knew, walking quietly she turns around the corner and sees through the open crack of the door, in the study of great grandfather Mordechai, Peter crying with his head between his legs at the very corner of the room.

She has seen all of her siblings in similar states before, so it shouldn't matter.

It doesn't matter.

But it does.

It does because Clara and her were wrong, because despite Peter being the perfect little candidat for the  _ forsaken  _ he was still another kid living in this nightmare like the rest of them.

Lydia became detached to not deal with things, Clara had her anger and Judith and Aaron had each other. Peter always was an outlier to them and he seemed glad to be on his own. But it wasn't right either, she herself had acted the same way with Clara when she saw how much trouble joining in to her games would cause when they were his age, the only reason she didn't succumb was because she craved the freedom the open sky and space brought her.

They were all drowning and looking for ways to keep afloat in that house.

So she hesitates, ultimately she leaves, because he wont accept her attempts of stilted comfort and even if she tried she didn't know what to do to help.

A week later Lydia has to make a choice and quick, spying on the grownups was something she did to keep herself updated on the goings of the house. So when she did this time she heard them talk about probably sending Judith and Aaron away somewhere.

She could leave too now, they would be put with a far removed family member and they would live separated and free, so could she.

….

But Peter would be alone and he would become like the rest of their wretched family.

Craving the simplicity of not caring she makes a choice, the next three days she takes money, goes to the woods and stays there until she comes back like usual. She saves up the cash and has only the barest form of a plan to keep her running.

So during the night she waits until the maids leave and she sneaks into Judith’s new room, she hushes her and tells her to change, they are leaving. Her eyes go huge and she hugs her leg, she stiffens at the contact and in a robotic manner pats her head unsure of what to do. Once she calms down, the girl does as instructed.

Next it is Aaron, the now six years old is tired and doesn't understand, but Judith moves her hands doing some signs and the boy seems to get it, so he changes his clothes, grabs the self made ghost pillow and goes with them quietly.

Finally she takes a breath and takes them to their last stop, Judith’s eyes are huge and her lip trembles. Aaron hugs her arm and looks up at her.

Lydia made a choice, all of them or no one. Entering the room he sees Peter asleep and she goes to him and shakes him awake, he flails almost hitting her and realizes she is there, he looks terrified. 

As soft and as quiet as she can she mumbles.

“We need to leave, all of us, please Peter” The now eight years old looks like he wants to yell, and if he does they are doomed. But he hesitates, a minute maybe 5 they stare at each other, until he slowly starts to get out of bed and goes to change into something warmer. When he is done he looks at her, sees Judith and Aaron and drops to the floor to grab a small bag under his bed. Inside there is money.

She supposes she couldnt be the only one taking their mothers purse money, nodding she moves to the door and he follows.

The trek through the woods is ten times more worrying with 3 children behind her, albeit Peter seems to know his way around just as well as her, still it seems to annoy him somewhat. The fact that she managed to know it bothered her little brother made her lips go up in a half smile.

Finally they leave the state and hitchhike to the city, Lydia knows where they need to go. Still the kids look scared, at least Judith and Aaron, Peter is quiet and takes on the sighs ahead.

“Lydia?” her sister's soft and questioning voice snaps her attention back.

“yes?” Aaron hugs the other girl. Peter looks the other way.

“Where are we going?”

And it's easy but hard, and Lydia is half flying with her suppositions and hopes. But it's better than nothing.

“We are going to see Mr- “ Right the man always calls himself-” see uncle Simon at his mansion”

The kids look appeased, Peter frowns a little and looks at her in question.

“It would be fine, he will help i know it”

And well if he doesn't want to, she will have to force him to.

Her life had been barren of choices, so to make a leap of faith so to speak brings her some form of joy. No more control from her family if things go right.

  
  


She had to make sure not to lose them while they walked so she asked Judith to hold her hand and in turn she held Aaron’s. Lydia without looking offered hers to Peter and simply said.

“We need to stick together or someone will take you away so just his once-” Hesitatingly she feels a small hand hold her right hand, its small and a little sweaty and she holds onto it, not in an iron grip for she founds discomfort on that too, but enough to make sure she doesn't lose any of them.

They reach Simon’s summer house by morning, Aaron is sleeping on her back while Judy and Peter can barely walk anymore. She is no better, the whole ordeal has left her exhausted, but it's necessary. 

She pushes the button to call for the house and waits, by her calculations it's that time of the year where Simon is staying there along with other Fairchilds.

Finally after two more rings a short old man yet very spry for his age comes out to see what the fuss is about.

When he sees the four of them he sort of watches puzzled, it seems they managed to stump him. She takes it as a win honestly.

“Can we come in? The kids are tired”

He opens the gate and lets them inside.

Once there her little sister and youngest brother hold each other and fall asleep on the couch, Peter looks grumpy and doesn't seem to know what to do, looking at the others in confusion and mild worry.

Simon gives a chuckle.

“Now young man I'm sure you would like to sleep on a bed, let me show you one of the guest rooms yeah?” Peter looks at Simon and surprisingly her. She nods and he follows him upstairs. 

She waits.

  
  


Simon comes and makes a sign to follow, she goes and they end up in a very big room with a beautiful painting of the sky on the roof. Lydia feels the folded childish drawing she made so long ago weight on her pocket.

“So any reason why you absconded with the little scion of the family? I'm surprised you took him considering you seemed to pin him as the same as your family” The truth stings.

“I was wrong” Simple and concise, Simon waits. She swallows and licks her lips, she is used to speaking very little, unlike Clara. She misses her, wonders what she may think of her final fuck you to their family. Not a fire like she wanted but it's something. Taking a breath she starts.

“I judged wrong, we were all stuck there and trying to survive in our own ways and i- me and Clara judged him wrong. I thought myself above all of them actually, Judy and Aaron too, more emotional they were and i disliked them for it, it was easier to pretend not to see them suffer”

Simon looks her up and down in thought.

“And pray tell what do you suppose i could do ? Im allied to the Lukas i cant exactly hide you” Before she starts to respond he cuts her off “Do not misunderstand, i have wanted to take Peter away myself before they turn him into one of them, but i have no excuse to keep him, he is still tightly connected to forsaken even now”

“I want to be a Fairchild” He laughs, she doesn't.

“I do not know if you have what it takes and it still doesn't answer my question” Staring right at him with no hesitation or shame she answers.

“You pay every Fairchild that gets into your family, if im one i can look after them, ill change my name too if necessary, i will look after all three of them and-” Taking a breath “And my family is not taking away a singly one of them from me” She cant taste ozone in her lips.

“That is very noble, but is not really up to me, its to my god”

“So be it”

Simon looks at her and smiles an awful smile.

“If you fail i cant really look after them”

“I wont”

“We shall see then” He stands up.

“Outside if you will?”

  
  


Once in the garden 

she

falls

Lydia is weightless, there is only blue around her, no land, not a single person on sight. No expectations, no parents, no siblings no anything, just the endless sky surrounding her in her ever present embrace.

She laughs and laughs and weeps tears of joy, they go upwards into the sky and disappear as tiny and as insignificant as she is. The vast stares at her and she stares right back and she loves. Lydia for the first time is not afraid and is not numb.

She feels and is beautiful, what surrounds her is beautiful and she thinks she is in love, if it were night and the stars were out she could fall forever.

Closing her eyes she manages to take out the drawing she made so long ago and unfold it.

She lets it go, and it goes upwards like an offering to the god that she choses on her own volition.

The next thing she knows she is lying on the ground and she can still hear herself laughing, her face aches from smiling so much. Looking to herself she sees her drawing lying on her chest and Simon looking ecstatic.

“Well, seems i was delightfully wrong young lady” Lydia looks at him and she  _ grins- _

“Seems like it old man”

“So what does my new granddaughter would like to be called?” And it flows into her like it always was meant to.

“Stella, Stella Fairchild, does it mean i can look after them?” Simon looks happily at her.

“I hardly doubt anyone would look twice at you and Judith and Aaron your family will not care, Peter… Peter as long as we are careful i'm sure no one has to know” Frowning she shoots him a look.

“You were always going to keep him regardless weren't you?” Simon grins.

“Why young lady, can't I have a favourite now and then?” He winks and offers a hand. Accepting she stands on the ground, it feels odd.

“Weird isn't it?”

“Yeah i would rather-”

“Fall into the Titans embrace?” He sounds fond.

Looking up into the sky she feels the same.

“Yeah”

They stay.

Simon gives her money but tells her she can stay in the mansion, he introduces her to the rest of the “family” and they all receive her with smiles and congratulations.

The children are overwhelmed, but slowly they get along with some of the daughters and sons from other Fairchilds. 

They know it is hard for them to make friends so the parents tell their kids to be more careful with Judy, Aaron and Peter.

It's hard to get over years of isolations and punishments for being social. Judith struggles just like Aaron but it comes more natural for them to make friends. She keeps to herself a lot only talking to Simon and Peter…

Peter withers.

He stopped talking, the others tried to include him but he still refused, rather staying inside watching from the window. Still lonely even when he can be himself now.

It baffles her, it annoys her, she tries to talk to him to go and try, even offering to go too so it's not just him, but he rejects her.

She cant reach him at all, neither can either of their siblings, none of them understand him.

Then there is school, they need to go to an actual school now, not only to keep learning but to finally make connections outside their family if they want to not be food to forsaken.

Her sister and youngest brother took it better than Peter. Who just told her to let him have private lessons like before.

“No, we can't, not if we want things to be better”

“I don't want better, I just want to be alone!” She was tired of his lack of interest in anything besides being another little game piece for their family.

“Well why come along! Why not stay there and still be miserable there you-” He runs off.

She ends up venting with Simon after she lost her patience with the boy.

“I believe you are being to hard on him, out of all of you he was, even if unknowingly, the closest to forsaken, not only that, but he is in a new place that is completely different of what rules he was used to” She sits and holds her head in resignations.

“Then what do i do? How can i help him?” Simon humms.

“Let me talk with him?” Stella is tired and she nods.

“Please”

School happens, Simon’s talk seemed to help him get Peter into it at the very least. They were, thankfully, starting the school year with everyone so it wasnt so bad.

All under fake names and with the Fairchild surname of course.

“But why Lydia?” Judith liked her name.

“It's Stella now remember? Because we want to stay together right? If the family knows we are here they will take us back to the mansion. So we need to do this until I turn eighteen and can have full custody of all of you, besides it's only at school, I will still call you Judith and so will everyone else here” She brushes her hair and helps her in her uniform. Does the same for Aaron and eventually knows in Peter’s door to see if he needs help with anything.

He doesn't reply and she didn't expect him to.

She wonders if maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her and she imagined him crying. But he is still here so it means something.

  
  


School goes… as well as it can be for four people who were homeschooled and isolated.

Stella can't really relate to anyone, so they leave her alone, it stings a little still. She thinks some things will never go away.

Judith and Aaron struggle a little less, apparently spending the summer with the other Fairchild childrens let them have some form of way to be less awkward than her.

Then Peter-

She doesn't know, he says nothing, but when she checks he does do his homework.

And he gets test grades back so he is not skipping.

  
  


Simon gives her art lessons.

When she is not sending some random idiot to fall forever he teaches how to paint.

It's what she has always wanted.

Judith likes cooking, she sits and learns that one afternoon when she sees her younger sister bake something for the four of them. The cookies are slightly burnt and she messes something up, but she eats them, even asks for more.

Mary Fairchild teaches her to cook and smiles sadly at her from time to time.

Judith is ecstatic she wants to share everything she makes.

Stella feels her eyes prickle.

Aaron likes building stuff, one of the kids had a model of a tower and very shyly he asked her if he could get the things to make his own. Stella smiles at him and nods.

It's a little unstable and there was a lot of glue, but he was proud of it.

She smiles and asks if he wants a picture of them with it finished.

He gapes at her and nods fervently.

Photos were not permitted at the house.

Peter eludes her, but he apparently spends time with Simon, that is until the call for travel comes and he needs to leave. She hears him promise to bring something cool for Peter once he is back and to not miss him too much.

Her brother makes a face but holds Simon's hand until the man ruffles his hair and jumps through the window.

Stella walks to the garden at night to go and watch the stars outside, but when she reaches the backdoor she hears it again, the sob and sniffle.

This time she does go.

Peter freezes and she calmly walks and sits next to him leaving a nice space to not overwhelm him.

“I like the stars” Peter tries to clean his face. “Back Mooreland it was the only thing i had, i couldn't play with Clara less we were punished, so i picked the stars as company instead” She realized that despite wanting to help them, Stella still kept them away, she didn't know anything about her siblings and vice versa.

“... i don't know how to talk with people either, i haven't managed to make a single friend in school yet, i only know i like the stars, painting, our sisters slightly burned cooking, Aarons weird constructions and… and i don't know what you like either. But i want to and i don't regret asking you to tag along, you are the reason i even took all of us. I would have left on my own otherwise” She hears him take a breath and move a little so she talks and keeps looking up ahead.

“I know how it feels to not know what to do, and it's hard to not be like before, but i'm trying to change at my own pace, so yeah. I'm sorry if i get mad, it's not really against you, i'm mad at the grownups at the mansion for messing us up for their own plans, i'm mad that im also messed up and i don't know how to help or do, the truth is no one really knows what the hell we are doing most of the time”

“But i don't want to give up on any of you, because-” She thinks about tears, burnt food and weird projects. “Because i love all of you”

Peter doesn't say anything and she doesn't push, she is very tired. Suddenly she feels a tiny hand laying on top of hers.

“I like boats, Simon gave me books about pirate adventures” Oh.

That, just like Judith and Aaron's hobbies, somehow fits him perfectly and Stella smiles.

They stay like that until Peter shivers and she gives him her coat.

The boy starts to drop in her room and stay there while she draws, he doesn't say anything but lays in her bed watching her. Sometimes he brings a book and reads. One time he hesitantly asks her the meaning of a word and she softly replies.

Peter is a slow reader, she realizes one day.

He also squints a lot and she suspects.

“Say, Peter how do the letters on the page look to you?” He looks baffled at her.

“Blurry why?”

Ah that would be it.

She and one of her new uncles take him and his son to the ophthalmologist, turns out he needs reading glasses.

They never noticed since he refused to read in the mansion and his homework could take all the time he wanted. It explains why he was a little behind in school.

Judith makes dinner, supervised, but she does and the four of them sit in front of each other and eat it at the table.

“Judy! it's really good!” Aaron cheerfully compliments his favourite sister, she knows it but it doesn't bother Stella, it's only fair.

“You are getting better” She is. Peter doesn't say anything for a while but eventually manages a small

“Thanks Judith” The girl almost drops her spoon in surprise and she hides her smile behind her hand.

Peter starts to follow their siblings, he sits and watches Judith cook and tests all her attempts to hilarious degrees.

It's all over when he tries sweets and that's when she finds out her brother has a sweet tooth that could kill a ground man of diabetes.

Now they bake, Peter is quiet and Judith talks his ear off, to the point she grows concerned about him actually being deaf, not to be mean with her sister but her singing could shatter glass. Peter doesn react at all and Judith now seems to be able to figure out what he wants without him speaking.

It's freaking her out.

When Simon comes he gets Peter a model of a pirate ship to build and Aaron wants to help.

Peter runs off and the boy is upset until later she sees them build another model of a skyscraper. Apparently Peter wanted to do the ship himself, but didn't mind helping the youngest or just plain watch him do it.

The boy was happy with the arrangement.

  
  


Peter still kept to himself and sometimes spotting him in the house was akin to see a cryptid, but he tried to be around them even if he didn't talk much or at all.

School as it turns out was bad, apparently according to teachers in a family conference, Peter was not socializing and seemed to be picked on by some other students.

The woman seemed sympathetic, but her tone indicated she wasnt that interested in helping her brother.

She turns and looks at Simon who asks if he could have the names of the ones picking on him. She tries to refuse and Stella is annoyed so she makes her drop.

Physically she is still there, but her fake expression is no stuck in terror.

Simon chides at her.

“Now, now i appreciate that, but there is the matter of Peter’s classmates to solve, and i hardly thing he will tell us their names”

True, so she stops the fall and now asks her the names.

After going for ice cream they go to speak business with some people.

Peter looks less anxious when he comes back from school, she smiles.

During the holidays Simon asks them if they ever went to the beach.

None of them ever did.

So they get in a plane.

She and Simon along with the other Fairchilds who wanted to tag along were having the trip of their lives.

It was not so nice for the rest of the passengers, but life is not fair.

The beach house was splendid. 

She sat in the sand watching the sky meet the ocean.

Judy, Aaron and Peter were playing in the water, not too far since they haven't had too many swimming lessons at the mansion pool yet.

She is happy, so much that by the end of the day she takes pictures of all of them.

The next day Simon takes the four of them in his sailboat during the afternoon. They see the sunset and during the night she can finally see the sky with all its stars, clean from pollution. She is sitting on the front of the boat with her legs dangling while Simon tells a more kid friendly version of his adventures.

She hears steps and Peter sits next to her dangling his legs too.

They don't say anything, but eventually her brother puts his head against her shoulder and relaxes. She lays down and Peter follows, still leaning against her. Later still Simon's voice drifts off and more steps come their way Judith lays on Peter’s right and Aaron surprisingly cuddles her side.

Good things don't last of course.

They are back home for a few weeks now, for the Fairchild mansion is that for them now, when she goes to pick Peter up from school and he is gone.

Her grip on Judith and Aaron hands tightness. When she asks the people around a mother says that a blonde woman who looked remarkably like her came in a limousine to pick him up. 

No.

No, please no.

The smell of ozone hits everyone around and the sky starts to darken suddenly.

When she gets home Simon looks sadly at her.

She doesn't want pity, she wants her brother.

Her little shit of a brother who takes pictures of them sleeping as pranks, who likes the ocean as much as she likes the sky, who eats all of Judy’s cooking even if it's bad and makes weird octopus plushies with Aaron when left alone for too long.

Stella goes to get her brother back, she leaves the kids at the mansion and Simon offers to take her, but she declines. She wants to go herself.

So she falls, the next thing she knows she is in the Lukas state and a downpour is going down.

Inside she sees her mother and uncles Nathaniel and Conrad with Peter sitting looking lost, she can see fog at his feet.

“Hello mother” The woman raises an eyebrow at her.

“I reckon to not have a daughter anymore, in fact i only have a single son who was taken” She takes a breath.

“Well i have a brother and i came to pick him up, sorry i took so long”

Peter looks almost see through and she is getting angrier, she finally knows how Clara felt, curse this house.

“That is not an option, you almost ruined him, but apparently it also helped him develop better for the forsaken, he is alone and you cultivated that very well”

“No, he isn't, Peter you are fine, you can come back with us, it's your choice” She smiles and offers a hand, but he looks up panicked at her and the fog grows.

Looking surprised her mother makes an approving sound.

“Like i said very attuned for it”

Something is wrong, it has to, he was participating, he seemed happier with them why now, why would he-

“MSorry Stella” He whispers very quietly and more fog comes, that's when she realizes he is not making the fog, it's coming for  _ him _ .

Peter is lonely but he can't  _ feed  _ forsaken like her mother wants so it will feed from him instead.

Stella moves to grab him and her mother slaps her making her fall backwards and cry out in pain. The sound resonates in the room.

“I do not condone that behaviour young lady, what makes you think you can-” She chokes, not only her, but her uncles as well, her mother starts to spit water as if she were choking on land.

She gets up and looks, it's not her, that's when she looks down and sees Peter who looks for the first time she has ever seen it angry. If her powers smell like ozone the room now is full of the smell of seawater.

They are drowning on land.

She laughs and laughs and drops to her knees and picks up her brother, the moment is broken and they can all breathe.

“Seems like, seems like he can come back with me now huh?”

The eight year old is heavy but she is stronger and she can take him away.

“OUT!”

She grins and sprints.

Before leaving a lightning bolt hits the house and it starts to burn a little, the rain of course turns the fire off, but she feels like Clara would have loved to see that.

Hugging her brother closer to herself she falls, but this time she goes through the sky and the ocean, both beautiful in their own right.

Once back Judy and Aaron tackle them.

Simon looks pleasantly surprised.

“Sorry if you get in trouble with them-”

“No need! I will still go to the house, they can't really stop me honestly, besides they are to non confrontational to do anything again after this” He pats her head and Anne brings a cold compress for her face. 

Peter hasn't stopped hugging her and their other siblings are pressed to them on both sides.

She is happy and she feels the smile of the boy against her neck at Judy’s cries for Peter trying her cooking and to never go away again and leave them.

  
  
  
  


Years later, Peter would be captain of his own ship, he still was very solitary and found people rather upsetting, but he got enough money to pay his crew to not bother him. She also found his friendship with Salesa amusing. Sometimes she would crash his boat and they would sacrifice people together.

Judy worked as a chef and was currently engaged to a very shy, nice and lonely boy she met in cooking school. Apparently her twin sister was… also something otherworldly but more on the End spectrum. She would kick anyone's ass for her brother and she could respect that.

Aaron became an architect and his buildings were made to be tall and spacious, the boy wasn't an avatar, but he liked making skyscrapers for her and Simon to jump from or throw people off.

Stella? she painted the sky, anyone who looked at her paintings for too long got vertigo, she was thinking about making a show with an entire room filled with her work, she even asked Simon if he wanted to join. He agreed enthusiastically, apparently it's been awhile since he made something.

Stella was happy, then one day she got a call from her brother at three in the morning saying that he thinks he might be dying, he met a guy in a party Simon took him and he spend the entire night talking and bantering with him non stop, he was an insufferable prick and blah blah blah.

She tunes him out, she loves her brother she truly does, but god Peter.

“You wanna make out with him, just do it and get it over with” She hears him sputter and cuts off the call. She goes back to bed and falls asleep.

A year and a half later she gets a call saying he might have accidentally proposed.

“HOW DO YOU ACCIDENTALLY PROPOSE???”

“I just, well, we were making a bet about some poor idiots and i made a joke and a thing led to another and now we are engaged?!” She takes a breath to calm down.

“Do i need to kill him?”

“What? NO! I like Elias!”

Why does the name sound familiar?

“Elias?”

“Uh yeah, Elias Bouchard head of the Magnus Institute?”

…

No

No way, not to his little brother not in a million years.

“Nope, do you know who he is??? Like really know? Does Simon know?!”

“if you mean about him being like two hundred years old? Yeah i know”

She is going to kill several people, her brother included.

“Peter you are not marrying that man, he is a gold digger”

“He is not interested in my-”

“GOLD DIGGER”

“Look, I just wanted to ask you if you wanted to come and have dinner to meet him. I already asked Judy and Aaron and they said yes! They were happy for me”

Two calls later she has very angry siblings on her side. So they will go and they will sus out that man for what he is so their brother is safe from his wiles.

Screw Jonah Magnus.

She is looking for Clara’s phone number, the molten wax of her skin will definitely put Jonah off from ruining her brother's life. 

No one messes with her family.

She ends up yelling at Simon for two hours while they fall at maximum speed for letting this happen.


	2. THE DINNER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ages!   
> 28 Elias - 29 Aaron - 31 Peter - 34 Judith - 38 Stella - 40 Clara but looks 21  
> Also the year would be 1999 for context.

Stella loved her siblings, it didn't start like that, apathy was the only thing she could use to survive back in Moorland House. So she pushed all of them away and hoped for freedom on her own.

She didn't know them and neither did they.

Now? Now she can confidently and proudly say that she loves them all, each and every one of her siblings. They drove her up a little crazy sometimes? Sure, but she would rather have them calling her for help at any hour than having them all afraid and alone, like it would had been if she hadn't taken them.

Never will she regret that, to take Judy, Aaron and Peter with her, thinking about a life without them in it hurt to even imagine. What kind of lives would any of them have, had she left them at the mansion?

Nothing good for sure. 

Her only regret was that it took so long for her to snap out of her own self made bubble and to let Clara go before they runned off together. She wished for her older sister to come with them, but she is happy in her own way. She found something of a purpose and is happy too.

Clara and their younger siblings get along. not great, but fairly well. 

Their siblings were not scared of her but they had been intimidated by Stella, they admitted to it while they started to live with the Fairchilds and it hurt, but it made sense, she was aloof and distant to them.

However they had been a little scared of Clara, she was never cruel to them, only cold in the same dismissal way as their family. But Peter? Clara had been awful to the boy. She resented him from being what their family wanted and it showed. 

No one intervened, it was a nice kind of loneliness for the childrens to have... to be rejected by family.

So when she met Clara by accident at age 20 she was wary of letting her near their siblings. 

At first she didn't recognize her, short blonde hair with red highlights, a few piercings and a leather jacket and pants that complimented her far better than the dresses the family forced her to wear. 

The reunion ended up with a burned down bar and them sitting down in a park at two in the morning talking afterwards.

It took several years for her and their siblings to get along and have something of a stable relationship, but it worked. Enough so that Peter was ok with her coming to meet Elias.

Good

They were going to make sure that body stealing rat didn't hurt their brother.

  
  


They were eating at her place since it was the least fancy one, they were going to catch him for the gold digger he was. So the most normal apartment it is.

Stella, despite the money she makes and the allowances that Simon still gives her, has a fairly regular apartment, just big enough to let any of her siblings crash there if needed and it happens way too often. 

Too often.

She doesn't know what it is that makes the four of them suddenly appear at any hour of the day, but they do. Sometimes she goes to sleep and wakes up in the morning with Judith making her breakfast. Peter comes during the night to steal her food and watch Tv while she sleeps like the cryptid he was meant to be. Clara comes to sleep in her guest room when she drinks too much and Aaron buys her food and waters the plants.

Simon comes too, because sometimes she leaves a painting drying and when she comes its more finished than she remembers.

So her family was weird, not that she didn't drop on them too. She had too much fun messing with Peter’s sailors.

Most of her work is done in her own art studio so she only paints for fun in the livingroom, still the place is a little cluttered, enough to make anyone with an obsession with cleaning twitch.

Hence the light blue splotches here and there on the floor, along with a bunch of nick nacks she picked along the way in her travels. Judith was a close second option, but hers was so homely and clean it would make the thing more difficult. Aaron had a very clean apartment too, but he had been working on a new project and the place was cluttered with working tools that couldn't be moved.

Clara was out of the equation, Peter and her got along rather well nowadays, but he would never go to her place. He says there is something there that bothers him, but can't quite place what it is, Aaron and Judith agree. 

Stella knows what it is, they all lived at the mansion for less time than her so its not so obvious.

Clara’s house looks lived in, has warm colors and some decorations here and there, but it looks like the rooms in Moorland house, only instead of cool colors they are all warm. Its barren of any feeling of a home.

It's the appearance of a homely house whose fire has burned out. None of them like it, she subtly asks Clara if she didn't want to redecorate, but she always declines and says it looks nice. Stella wonders if it's subconscious, or maybe it's on purpose. A way for the desolation to feed, a nice house without the fire to make it feel like a true home. The perfect mix between lonely and desolated. Her sister had lived alone since she left, the rest of them had each other and the Fairchilds to learn what a home felt like.

Judith came earlier to make the food, Aaron was already setting the table while Clara was egging their younger sister into putting hot peppers into the dinner.

“C'mon? It would be hilarious to see his face scrunch up and become a tomato”

“As delightful as that would be, I'm fairly sure Peter would get mad at us. The idea is to make sure he realizes how much of a skeevy con man he is Cla”

Stella overlooks from her window the earth below and gives Aaron a smile when he puts the shitty silverware and he grins.

She sees them on the ground level.

“Peter and the evil weasel are here, we know what to do right?”

A chorus of yes follows her question.

After 10 minutes they hear a knock on the door, so she goes to open it. Her little brother, who was not so little anymore since he hit puberty and now towered over her, smiled. She returned it happily, it had been two months since they saw each other, phone calls were difficult and can only do so much.

At his side but a little behind there was the man, shorter than her brother by a full head, with green eyes that stared at her with a perfectly practiced smile. Oh she wanted to punch him already. The blonde hair was perfectly pushed back and he was wearing a green dress shirt, a jacket and black slacks. 

Her face remains in a pleasant smile despite the need to throttle.

“Hi Stella” She looks at Peter, snorts and pats his shoulder.

“Hey captain cryptid” Making the face of regret, he opens his mouth but is interrupted by Judith’s voice.

“Peter?” At that the woman comes to the door and crashes into him for a hug. Aaron comes next from the living room and joins her in watching the show.

As it was, Judith was the one that could get away with hugging Peter in such a manner, he was incapable of denying her now. Funny how things change.

The rest of them had to be less showy about it if they wanted his hugs, which was unfair because he gave really good ones. What with being the tallest and comfiest of them all. Clara and her were too bony and pointy limbed and Aaron was fit. Judith was also very good with hugs, they were warm and once you started you didn't want to stop.

“Looks like captain sucker finally arrived, how was throwing idiots overboard been treating you?” 

“Hey Clara, good. Judith could you please-? I need to present you-” Stella sees the man give Peter a smirk and it makes her mouth taste ozone already. The smell of sizzling lets her know Clara saw too.

“Sorry, it's just has been two months and I missed you!”

“I get it, i get it please”

Stepping back she lets him in along with Elias, closing the door it was the six of them standing there. Peter looked a little overwhelmed.

“So, um this is- This is Elias my- um” He starts to stutter out of nerves for sure.

“Im Elias Bouchard, his fiance, it's a pleasure to meet all of you, Peter spoke very highly of his siblings” Her mouth twitches in annoyance, but Peter looks relieved so she will let it go.

“Thank you. Im Stella Fairchild”

“Clara Jones” Her sister refused the Lukas last name, but couldn't take the Fairchild like the rest of them, so she picked Jones, after her favourite book character.

“Judith Fairchild”

“Aaron Fairchild” 

Now it was back to awkwardly stare, well seems like she has to make a move. She claps her hands and startles her siblings.

“So let's go to the living room, Judy’s making dinner and Aaron already set the table, go, go chop chop, my little soldiers”

Clara bumps her shoulder and grins.

“Your apartment is… lovely” He sounds.. not strained, but a little miffed. He does of course a very valiant attempt at sounding happy, but she can see him look at the blotches of blue paint on the floor along with some of the weird objects she collected with a thinly veiled grimace.

She gives him a sunny smile.

“Why thank you Elias”

So it starts.

They go to the table and sit while Judy goes to pick up the food, Aaron goes to help her and it's only the four of them. Elias looks around a little while he speaks, as if trying to figure something out.

"So you are Peter's oldest sister, right Stella?" Clara snorts and looks mildly fond and mildly offended at Peter

"I know we don't get on so well, but to not mention me ? You wound me captain weird" 

"Clara…" She grins at him and looks at Elias straight on. 

" I'm the oldest albeit I don't look the part, being made out of wax makes aging a little difficult you know? Still can't believe you" Peter looks at her and Stella shrugs giving him a smile. 

"To answer your question yes! Why? has he spoken about me ?" She raises an eyebrow in his direction.

"Elias..." A warning, so he has. 

Stella doesn't really know what her brother thinks of her since he is the type to show his love by gift giving or touches. Words are hard for him. 

"All good things, but I won't spoil~" 

Judith comes with Aaron and the food is served, now it's a matter of catching him.

"So! Um Elias, how old are you and like how did you met Peter? He mentioned a party with uncle Simon and you being head of an institute, but you seem young… I just don't know how does that work!" Judith smiles kindly and starts to dig into it.

"Oh well the previous head chose me two years ago to replace him and I got the job, I'm 28 so only a 3 year difference with Peter. As for how we met… well" Looking to the side he gives Peter a light smirk and an artificial laugh that gets on her nerves.

"Its as it sounds Simon took Peter to one of the parties for the institute founding and the man just presented us. To be fair I didn't really give him much attention since Simon has a lot of… family members. It wasn't until much later in the night that we started to talk-"

"More like banter, he refused to say I was right about a piece of trivia-"

"So we ended up talking all night. Truly Peter looked more incensed as the night took off and I would admit I hadn't had that much fun in a while with someone. It ended up with a - well a gamble that unfortunately I lost" turning to her brother he made an affronted look. 

"So I won ! And after a very … illuminating advice" he looks at her in annoyance and she cant help but to grin a little " I asked him to meet up again. So on and so on" 

"Oh! I see. That's very nice?" Judith looks to Peter in question.

"It was definitely something" He laughs and Stella is glad to see him happy albeit it's hard with the presence of the other man. 

“Do you have any siblings?” Aaron and Judith know of the supernatural, but aren't really in it, she and Clara agreed to not tell them about Elias being Jonah Magnus yet, there will be a time, or in the worst/best case scenario, Peter has to actually explain to their siblings that he is dating a 200 year old body hopper.

…

Tough luck for him.

Elias smiles indulgently to Aaron and she sees him give a little twitch of discomfort. The man does give the feeling that he knows your worst secrets and is not afraid to use them, Aaron and Judith might not be forsaken, but that feeling of being seen still bothers them. It bothers all of them in one way or another.

It's the other reason why she is hesitant about Elias' intentions. Peter is the most closed off regarding feelings, so to have someone scoop them up from your brain to be picked apart… it worries her.

“Not really, i was an only child, it was.. nice, had a lot of time to do what i wanted” 

Clara and Judith both make little grim smiles, she calmly takes a sip of her drink

Loneliness.

Aarons smile dims a litte, he was the youngest and he doesn't remember as much, but there is something about the sentence that hits too close to home.

She smiles and makes a few pointed questions to let her siblings put themselves together again, she wonders if the answer was chosen on purpose. They all keep talking while making pointed questions about Elias who seems very keen in answering them in a concise yet vague way, for all they tried to get him to talk about himself he deflected spectacularly.

Stella grips her fork very tight while thinking about the man digging into their heads about their lives in the mansion.

Peter, unsurprisingly, doesn't seem to catch the underlying hostility, in fact he seems to be enjoying himself very much, he kept giving Elias these tiny looks that made her feel glad for him, but mad at who they were directed towards. The man refused to be real with them, he was polite, don't get her wrong. But it was a little.. fake, to her at least. Not only that but whenever one of her other siblings asked questions that put him on the spot his answers all contained wording that to anyone would be innocuous, but not to them.

When he wasn't being passive aggressive Elias was, however, a perfect guest, complimenting Judith cooking and asking about Aaron’s job, apparently he liked architecture.

Go figure.

She is sure Robert Smirke would be rolling in his grave if he heard him.

There is also the fact that at one point she felt…

A prickle of something behind her eyes and she instantly focused on the feeling of free falling. She could see Elias smile dim and look a little strained.

She narrows her eyes, not on her watch. 

Clara was giving him a very strained and pointed smile, after a comment he made, it made the man squirm a little. 

“So Stella, Simon and Peter mentioned you are an artist?” He smiles a little at her as if trying to prompt her to talk. 

She slowly finishes swallowing her food and answers him.

“Yes, I do mostly paintings of the sky and some landscaping in some cases. It's fun, it gets messy sometimes. I have a few paintings done if you would like to see them?” Maybe he says yes and she can give him vertigo. The idea makes her smile.

Judith and Aaron snicker a little and Clara snorts.

“Please refrain from doing so…” Peter is a buzzkill.

“Rude little boy” He sighs at her.

“Difficult woman”

“I can see the family love here guys truly, if you want to make this night more exciting i got some gunpowder i could always-”

“NO!” All four of them had to stop Clara.

“Please, do not and i mean it. Do not blow things up here again- Not like the birthday fiasco ok?”

“Ugh” She groans and leans back on her chair. “You need to live up a little! Blow something up, set a house on fire”

“Cla, we love you, but i don't want the police coming for me… not again” Judith looks exasperated, she doesn't blame her.

“Same, the guys at work kept asking about what happened last time you came to visit”

“You all suck, Stella is the only fun one…” Looking at Peter she grins.

“I mean there was that time i helped you to-”

“NO, you promised” Peter almost chokes and even Elias looks bewildered at him. Stella is baffled.

“What did she help you with?”

“Nothing”

“None of your business”

Oh so that's what they are playing at huh. Stella stares them down and waits, Clara starts to twitch and Peter is looking like he might try and bolt. 

Judith, sweetheart that she is, tried to get their attention.

“So how about dessert!” Peter turns around with the speed of someone who was clearly waiting for it.

“Yes! I would very much love dessert. What did you make?”

“Oh, some chocolate cake”

“Yeah it looks great! i helped her” Aaron is making hands at Judy while she laughs and goes to the kitchen.

“LEMME HELP” Clara proceeds to go and she has to give her credit with how fast she managed to get up.

“Sooo Elias, what do you like about Peter!” Aaron is a little shit who has no shame half of the time and the other is very self conscious. This time of course he went for the former.

“Aaron- There is no need to-!”

“Oh i'm curious too, what exactly is that you see in my little brother, no offense, but he is kind of lame”

“Lam- Stella!”

“You sort of are Peter, we say it with love cause we are your siblings” Oh Aaron is rising in her list.

“I do not think Peter would appreciate me saying what i think in public, albeit he is very fun and handsome” The last part makes Peter flush and look a little shily at him, he is not used to being complimented, beyond them and Simon. 

She still doesn't like him, Peter is clearly in love with him, but she can't really tell if Elias feels really anything for him or is just stringing him along, he sounds fake and they have barely gotten anything out of him.

The only thing she knows is that he likes doing paperwork for some reason, is fond of architecture and that is… debatable for her, gambling and bantering according to Peter, reading (Considering his job… well she is not surprised) and seems to be very interested in gossip if what Peter teased him about is true.

So base knowledge and some of it came from Peter, she doesn't know what is his problem like this.

“IN COMING!!”

Clara and Judith interrupt her musing carrying the chocolate cake. It looks delicious.

It IS delicious.

Peter almost wolfs it down and Elias seemed, surprisingly so, very happy eating it, if she was honest it looked like the first time he smiled genuinely to her during the entire evening. Even his compliments for Judith were more open, she looked a little taken aback.

“Oh- umm th-thanks! I'm glad you liked it..” She trails off at the end, despite many years outside Mooreland and going to therapy as an adult, she still struggled with accepting genuine compliments.

“I do, Peter wasn't exaggerating when he said your cooking was good” Judith flushed very hard and gave a very small and timid smile to Peter who was looking a little embarrassed himself, he gave a small coff and cleared his throat.

“Yes well, she has practice” Stella puts her fingers in her chin and smiles wickedly at him.

“So do you and if i recall you were very happy to be her guinea pig when she was starting to learn how to bake. Lots of incidents there” Elias looks between them in a calculating and curious expression.

“Oh?”

“Peter really liked sweets and i was learning how to cook so he helped, the results were… varied, he is also good at baking!”

“I would have to try something out then” He gives him a look and raises an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah, i could try, it's been a while” She looks at them while taking a bite trying to see if anything is amiss. 

“Do you cook rich boy?” Clara teases him, but looks at Elias in wait. He smiles graciously at her and she has to kick her since her fork was denting with the heat of her hand.

“Not rich i assure you albeit the paycheck is far better than that of a filing clerk, to answer your question only out of necessity it's not a hobby of mine”

“Oh and what do you like to do then?” She asks and smiles indulgently at him and Stella sees him give her a calculating gaze. Peter looks at her a little and offers her a smile that she returns more genuinely.

She loves her brother and Stella is very glad this sort of things fly over his head. 

“Mm well i do like reading a lot, learning new things, friendly gambling and a few more things, but its not very important. I would like to get to know all of you better” Her siblings look at her as if waiting for her verdict. Stella through remarkable self control and practice smiles.

“Well that is very nice of you! But seeing as you might be joining the family it would be remiss for us not to get to know you better too” She gives him a calculating look while smiling, the rest of her siblings observe, Peter looks at Elias and gives him a little nudge to which he takes a breath and responds.

“That is very much true, well we will have enough time to get to know each other better i assume”

“True, I hope we can have more family dinners all together now! “ She turns to Peter and smiles at him warmly “Im very happy for you” She is happy for him, but for his partner? not one bit. At least she has time, they can't  _ really  _ get married in England, she surmises a family ceremony would be the eventual arrangement.

“Say Peter i know the whole engagement thing was sudden, but you don't have any idea yet about the actual wedding right?” Her brother chokes a little and looks at her and Clara who started to OHH at him.

Judith giggles a little.

“Now you better not do it so close to my wedding you know? Oh! unless you want a double one?” Pulling an all suffering face, while Elias covers his mouth with his hand, Peter treads his fingers through his hair.

“No Judy, I'm fine, i'm not stealing your day. Also.. um, not really?”

“We just got engaged, so we don't have plans to marry yet”

“Oh just wanted to make sure! I mean there is the whole organizing thing and you know Simon is going to want to be there… and everyone else... “ Actually now that Stella thinks about it even she starts to sweat a little bit “Actually, Judith, you do remember we have to arrange the tables for your receptions right? And make sure everyone is invited? Remember the last wedding when Uncle Nikolas forgot to invite cousin Miriam?”

Aaron, Peter and Judith all made grimaces.

“What? What happened? What did they do? I thought your lot was all friendly with each other” Clara looked confused and when she turned to Elias he seemed just as well.

“We get along, yes, but we mostly only get together, all of us, for weddings, so as not to be invited…”

“Things get bad quickly” Aaron finishes her sentence.

Stella and Peter had to get Aaron and Judith out while Simon started to laugh and watched the whole thing go down. The old man was having the time of his life. 

She can never hear the song it's raining men without having flashbacks of that day.

“I was going to ask you to help me arrange it later..”

“Yes, yes, I do have to get Simon to send me the new list with all the active Fairchilds again before that, but sure. Still plenty of time”

After that they talk a little bit more, Clara offers to make some coffee for all of them, Elias was scalding and he had to wait a lot before taking a sip less he burned his mouth. Petty little revenge.

Finally Peter and Elias had to go, they all said their goodbyes, very polite to Elias and Aaron and her got a hug from their tall sibling.

Once they were gone she let out a breath.

“So, assessment?”

“I don't like his smug little face” Judith bit her lip in thought

“He was very polite…

“But it felt a little to practiced didn't it? It wasn't just me right?” Aaron looked at his three sisters “Some of his comments made me feel..”

“Like he knew what bothered you? Yes i felt like that” Judy sat down.

“So what, we scare him away then? I would punch him if you ask me”

Stella looks outside her window into the night sky.

“He kept all of us at arms way the entire night. Peter loves him, it's obvious, no idea why, he is a horrid little man. But i honestly can't tell if he feels the same way or he is just using him. I don't really think he liked us” Clara purses her lips.

“So what? We can't be overly mean, less Peter catches on, but we cant let it keep going if he is a piece of shit”

“No, no we can not” Finally she sighs and sits, Judith puts her head on her shoulder.

“So what now?”

Good questions.

“... Peter wouldn't stay with him if he was cruel with any of us, his comments were pointed, but never anything that couldn't be passed over”

The three of them turn to her.

“Soo, we bait him until he does something?”

“I reckon he would most likely say something cruel eventually, knowing his nature” Stella frowns “I won't put you in a place where he might say something that could hurt you, so i'll probably do it myself, you just need to help me make him snap…. But first we should try and see if we can sus out his intentions”

“He is too good at deflecting, he spent the whole night making a point of not really answering our questions about him!”

“Maybe he is just very private? Or maybe he was nervous, Victor was very much so when i brought him for dinner the first few times. You guys kinda scared him a little”

“Ok, we will give him the slight benefit of the doubt, just for now. But! If he doesn't change at all, and refuses to open up, even a little, we go to plan: Get his ass out of here, agreed?”

“Agreed” Good, so far there was no clue about his intentions, but they will get them one way or another.

During the next few months every time Peter brough Elias to have dinner with them or go out the man was resolutely avoidant of talking about himself, Peter on the other hand? Was absolutely smitten. The rest of them were having a hard time trying to figure what to do, Judy and Aaron tried their best to be as open and friendly as they could to try and get him to talk. He was very polite and interested in what  _ they  _ had to say, making comments and giving opinions, however if any of them tried to make him talk further he switched the conversation.

She was starting to run out of patience, her siblings seemed to try and keep going with getting him to open up on his own, but it was not working at all.

Clara didn't come to all the get-togethers, she had her own things to do according to her, she disliked Elias, but if violence couldn't be used she didn't make the effort to stay.

Stella was a little bitter that as always she was left to look after everyone else.

Albeit she had to admit to seeing the man more and more stiff, there is, she imagines, a limit regarding his patience too. Her siblings were doing the kill it with kindness sort of approach, mostly Judith, Aaron had gone directly into being a little shit, the man seemed ticked off a little by both of them, with her on the other hand Elias seemed more cautious than annoyed. With good reason, she is very tempted to just drop him with terminal velocity if something doesn't give soon.

And does it soon come. 

The circumstances were muddy at best, she had grown tired of her siblings attempts weeks ago and Stella had started to slowly ask him more pointed questions and give him vertigo waiting to see a reaction soon.

It was during a lunch with all of them, this time at the mansion, where she, albeit this time on accident, walked on Elias pacing outside with a ticked off expression. She could have just walked away, but… she wanted this weird coexistence to end or change somehow, it has grown stale and it was grating to her.

So instead she walked on him.

“Shouldn't you be inside? I believe my brother was looking for you” Elias straightens his back quickly and looks at her with a scowl. 

“Yes, well, i needed some air, is there an issue?” Raising an eyebrow and looking him up and down she shrugs.

“No, not really, just curious, are you feeling alrig-”

“Could you perhaps drop it? Your brother is not here, you don't have to play nice” Well that is something. He smiles unpleasantly at her.

“I could say the same about you then” He snorts and gives her a look.

“Good, is very easy to see you don't like me”

“Can you blame me?” He twists his head a little to the side like a bird and it unnerves her a little with how hard he was staring.

“No, i do not think so. I don't know what little campaign of horror you intend for me, but i am sure its not violent, less Peter gets mad so i imagine it's more along psychological warfare” Elias is not wrong, but there is something in the way he said it that rubbed her the wrong way, there was some maniac tilt to it.

“Answering questions is not so hard, we aren't asking you to tell us the secrets of the world”

“Please, lets not play dumb”

“Im not-”

“You have all very much been against my presence since the beginning, perhaps at first sure it was something close to the “shovel talk” but I do think the thinly veiled hostility is going for too long. So what is it?” 

“Maybe we worry you are just trying to mess with our brother? You don't have a good reputation, unless Simon was lying?” Stella sees him clench his jaw.

“Whatever Simon implied can be taken out of proportion i assure you”

“Like being a 200 year old body hopper? Sure, before you ask, no Judith and Aaron don't know. They aren't secret evil masterminds”

“That- was not- for him- to say” Oh he was mad, Elias was fit and had the same height as Aaron so he was a little bit taller than her, not by much, but it showed now. She wasn't against trading punches, Beholding was far too cerebral so she could drop him quicker than he could punch her. Her temper of course raised too so she hissed at him.

“Well too bad, you gold digging basta-” What she forgot to do was let the feeling of falling cover her mind.

She is suddenly acutely aware how much her mother hates her, how many hopes she had at first for her, very quiet and reserved, unlike Clara who threw tantrums as much as possible to get attention, how perfect she was when she went from one side of the mansion to the other like a little ghost. That however soon turned into disappointment at her lack of interest over forsaken, so she was left to be replaced for the next child. How, to this day, she pretends she doesn't have any childrens of her own.

A flash of her siblings, Judith and Aaron being scared of her indifference, Peter’s hurt at her dismissal when he was much younger, Clara’s jealousy over how good she was at almost everything.

“Stop-”

“You resent them-” She clenches her jaw and stands upright while thinking about how small and insignificant she is while freefalling “Clara for leaving you to be the adult and the others-”

Funerals, a name she disposed off, siblings crying, indifference, anger, being trapped over and over again, Peter almost dying, terror for the fog to come back and kill the rest, responsibilities she had to take then a sudden understandment of her siblings being sometimes bothered by her mothering them, it all sort of spiraled and she started to stumble. His voice turns surprised.

“You are a Luk-”

“Fuck- off” She doesnt let him finish.

Stella drops him.

Elias is very much still standing, but his eyes are wild in panic.

She massages her head, she doesn't! She is perhaps mad sometimes, but she would never resent her siblings. She loves them.

“I love them, i dont- i would never- ugh my head” She decides to give herself a minute to recover before letting him back, to him it will be longer, but fuck him.

“What is going on!”

Fuck, not now, not now!

Suddenly Elias starts to take deep breaths and stumbles back.

“Hey Peter, we just had a little disagreement there is not-”

“I- I have to go” Peter gets close to Elias and attempts to touch him, before he flinches away from him.

“Elias calm down, it will pass, just-”

“No, i- i need to go now, I can't stay. Im.. sorry Peter”

“Stella what did you do?” Oh, he sounds angry.

“Me?? He just got into my head!” Peter turns and opens his mouth to say something when Elias cuts him.

“Well,  _ maybe if you hadn't been against me the entire time!” _

“Fuck off you wanker!” Now Stella is pissed she started to walk forward to get him before she feels arms grabbing her waist and lifting her up stopping her advances.

“Stop it both of you! Elias we can talk things out just-”

“No, I can't, Peter. I just… can't” He sounded awfully upset and she has no clue why, he started it, the feelings dump she got is still swirling around her head, she needs to compartmentalize it soon. 

Peter releases her and she gets a sudden bout of seasickness so strong it makes her sway on her feet. Nausea rises and Stella does all she can to not fall to the floor or throw up.

She can see them discuss something, but she is honestly feeling so bad at the moment, that she can't really tell what is going on, her brother's effect along with the previous mind punch was leaving her feeling unmoored and not in the way she likes.

Soon they both leave her there, Peter following Elias who seemed very keen on getting out. Once out of her sigh, Stella stumbles and falls to her knees, the feeling of nausea gets worse, with what she assumes is her sibling mood.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

It's not just that but the knowledge of her siblings negative feelings about her is making her feel worse and worse. 

Eventually she snaps a little bit out of it when a cool hand touches her shoulder.

“Stella? We heard yelling, are you okay?” Judith, sweet wonderful and reliable Judith.

We?

“You look like shit”

Ah Clara.

“I- fuck, fought with… Rat man, brain is scrambled- Peter got me seasick and i can't-” Her sister grabs her to try and get her up.

“Ok, ok lets go inside. I'll get you something for the nausea ok? Don't worry” Clara holds back from helping to pick her up, the threat of burning doesn't appeal right about now.

“Peter left, Elias saw that we were Lukases, msorry” She hears her take a breath and kindly push her inside.

“Well shit” Yeah Cla, well shit indeed.

“Thats, well bad, for everything. We were trying to get to know him, you promised to-” Stella sways and her little not so little sister anymore guides her.

“I know, but he was already upset when i got there, don't think he liked our attempts at bonding or probing for info- ugh im going to be sick Ju”

Before they enter she lets her deal with that in the grass. Clara looks to the side in disgust.

“Sorry you had to see that-”

“Nonsense, you saw all of us in worse conditions” Her older sister remains quiet strangely enough.

True, when she told Simon she would look after them, she meant it. Stella took care of her siblings as much as she could when they got sick or had any issues.

Back inside Aaron spotted the three of them and jumped immediately to ask what was wrong if he could help or anything. Clara was looking at her unsure, not used to deal with ill people.

A sudden spike of pain in her head and a little leftover flash of knowing, that told her how inadequate they felt compared to her made her clench her teeth.

Judith told them to get her a cold compress and to clear out the couch so she could lie down a little. Both of them looked at her and remained in place as in doubt.

“Just do as she says please” They went.

Afterwards while lying there Judith explained to their brother what she told them, Stella was too dizzy to notice how her eyes kept shifting to her and how she hesitated when telling them of the altercation with Elias or how Clara clutched her crossed arms very hard at that part.

“You think they will be ok?” Aaron’s concern would be touching if she didn't feel like passing out.

“Ngh no idea”

“How is the nausea going?” She has to swallow down the vile and looks at Clara with the most unimpressed look she could give.

“Worse”

“Guess little brother is having a bad time then”

Judy was wrangling her fingers and looking worried and Stella had the urge to soothe her. 

“Hey, hey it's… not okay, but it was my fault, i'll deal with it ok? You guys didn't do anything wrong, if Peter is mad it's on me.. ugh and he is. Dear goodness” She loves the vast, but her preference is in the sky, not to say she doesn't like the ocean aspect, but the seemingly infinite space calls out to her more, the sea has a very thin line to share with the buried that unnerves her. 

All that pressure holding you down…

She gave her a very small and thin smile.

Peter did not come back.

The nausea lasts for another day that she spent in her apartment being very miserable.

Judtih offered to look after her, but she declined.

“You have your own life Ju, it's just nausea it will go away soon” An unconvinced look was her answer.

“Look i'll call you, if it doesn't go away by tomorrow you can stay and tell me i told you so”

Afterwards she did not attempt to call Peter, not out of lack of concern, but she knew him enough to realize that any attempt would be taken wrong and if he did not want to talk he wouldn't.

So she waited.

She spent the week before she got any news, trying to not think about the assault to the mind she had.

Her mothers thought were not a surprise, albeit the knowledge of how much the horrid woman hated her did still manage to instill some old hurt from her. 

Her siblings… that was another different can of worms.

Stella resolutes on not thinking about it at all, it wasn't even her place to know it. She suspected what they felt towards her as children so the sting was lesser, it was just the sprinkles of negative feelings now that lost her a little.

It wasn't her business, so she spent her time painting and going around the Uk doing sacrifices or just plainly having fun.

It's Judith who tells her by phone very nervously that Peter came by, he and Elias had broken up. Apparently they had a fight after they left., Judy said that he looked very upset and she tried her best to cheer him up, but ultimately couldn't.

It is an empty victory she knows.

Thanking her for telling, they talk a little bit more, but Judith says she had to leave since she had an appointment.

“Oh, alright Ju, good luck, thanks for letting me know”

“Yeah… talk to you later”

  
  


Aaron calls her two days later saying that he invited Peter over and he was even more upset than Judith's description.

She hears him out and tries to calm him down when he starts to panic in her most soothing voice.

“You didn't see him, he was so- so sad, and it was chilling and what if- if “and he lowers his voice as if the name would draw it there “what if forsaken comes back for him, you know how he is Stella i don't-”

“Aaron? Listen to me ok? It will be ok, Peter will be fine, do you trust me?”

“Y- yes of- of course”

“Listen im- im giving him some time? But I will talk with him ok? Everything will be fine”

Clara does not call, it doesn't surprise her so she does it instead.

“Mm? he came by, it was weird seeing him all mopey, sort of sickening too, took him to do something fun, he seemed a little better, but um you probably won't like it” God.

“Let me guess, arson and you burned a mannequin with a picture of my face huh?”

“.... it's very scary how you know that” No, it isn't. Clara will not ask to talk, so she lets out her anger in bouts of petty destruction, Peter takes some form of joy in seeing it rather than participating. The picture is of course related to the one Clara has on a dartboard hidden in her closet that she saw by accident once. Considering the situation it was probably cathartic.

  
  


The one that surprises her is Simon.

She was struggling to paint a night sky when she felt a breeze through her back, turning around the old man was standing on her now open balcony looking not mad, but rather thoughtful.

“So! I see things went south, did not take you for the kind to start that kind of stuff dear, albeit i had been wrong about you before” She sighs and puts her brush down.

“I just wanted to either know if he was using Peter or get him to admit it so he could leave. Not to get into a hissy fit, that ended up spectacularly wrong” He shrugs and goes to sit on her couch, she goes to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

“Intentions aside, you got your desired end then?”

“Does it look like I wanted to have my mind scrambled and the brother I wanted to help hate me? Because if so, yes it went swimmingly” Simon pauses and looks at her more attentive.

“Ah, that was not mentioned, what did he show you?” 

“Old man…”

“Cmon among family Stella!” Family is an odd concept, but she will acquit.

“Only how much mother hates me and how much of a filthy disappointment i was, not that i didn't know, but still it stings”

“Mm, only that…?” Clenching her jaw while still smiling and looking for the sugar she replies.

“Yes, of course what else is there to see” Simon remains quiet while she pours the water. When done she offers him the cup.

“Thank you! Now, i just have a few things to say and i will be out of your hair, dealing with the little problems is not my thing honestly” She wishes sometimes she was like that, letting her all go through her and be merry and happy with the vast.

“Well say your piece, is it about how much i messed up? How i should apologize, what is your wisdom old man?” He sips his tea calmly and she looks to her drying painting.

“Perfect as always, you really made an effort to learn everyone's prefered drinks haven't you?”

“What does that have to do with-”

“Stella” She shuts up, he is using the voice after all.

“I will make clear a few things, when i let them meet it wasnt with any ulterior motive, just wanted to show Peter around a little, what happened afterwards was up to them or if we want to be paranoid the Web. Although I doubt it. Secondly, my comments regarding dear Jonah were true, not harsh or exaggerated only the truth that I saw for my own two eyes ok? The opinion you formed was based on those, along with his way of acting and as such it gave a… subpar idea of his person” She doesn't like it, but it is true.

“Thirdly, I, like before, will give you my opinion and you can do with it as you wish, but to me? Elias very much loves Peter, in what manner? that is up to him” She opens her mouth to protest.

“Jonah is terrified of the ocean” Stella blinks confused at the statement.

“So..?” Smiling with very clear amusement he continues.

“He is very scared of it, he wouldn't even step a foot in Mordechai’s ship when asked or even offered a boon for the institute. However “ And his smile turns into a feral grin “he willingly went to spend the day with Peter on his ship for a date, the poor lad was very nervous about it and asked me for advice, it was hilarious, I even forgone telling him about the other’s phobia to watch the spectacle. And yet Elias, looking like a newly born fawn walking went. Now this is what matters, Jonah, who not even with the offer for money for the institute refused to set foot on a boat, did so willingly for your brother”

Motherfucker.

“Ok that is- how was I supposed to know, Elias doesn't talk about him and everytime we tried to get him to talk, he avoided speaking of himself or his feelings about Peter!”

“Yes, well he is beholding dear, you and i, we joined out of love for the vast, but… well there is always a little bit of fear isn't it? For him who enjoys beholding there must be a similar feeling, liking to see others, but…”

“Hating to be seen..? No, not seen, known” He claps her shoulder

“Good! Elias plays big, or well he likes to make others think he is. Very web of him if you ask me-” The conspiratorial voice makes her crack a smile. “He likes to be in control, but how to be when meeting your significant other's family who will be the one to judge your every action?”

“So it was our- my fault then?”

“Your siblings follow you like ducklings”

“They tried to know him better..”

“Yes, and he pulled back and you kept pushing, a battle of wills! That eventually boiled over and well.. you were there” Taking a deep breath she slumps on the couch.

“So now what?”

“I just came as a favor to Peter, the boy was moping to be honest and I figured you would fix it! You always do, you are his favourite of course” She snorts, the memories of-

No.

“Hardly and now less likely” Looking to the side Simon stares at her.

“What?”

“Somethings are hard to get rid of, you two are very alike in some ways”

“I have no idea what you mean”

“Well, not my place to say, it was a pleasure as always. Now if you excuse me i have to take a plane soon, the mountains await dear. Good luck!”

She stalls in the end, another week and she goes.

Not his apartment, she doesn't even want to think how that must had gone with them breaking up. 

She ends up in his ship at night, Stella misses him randomly appearing at her place during the night to eat her cereal, once there is not hard to find him, he is sitting down with his legs dangling in the front of the boat. He watches him a little and reminiscence about the child who barely reached her neck sitting like that so long ago.

Walking to where he is sitting she joins him, leaving two peoples worth of space in between them. Looking to the side she sees what all of her siblings told her, Peter looks miserable and she feels the gut wrenching pain of knowing it's her fault.

“Saying sorry won't help, but just so you know? I am, very much so. I just- i was worried and he didn't help, refusing to let us know him even a bit, it made me think he had nefarious plans for you, or wanted you for something else” She looks to the sky to calm her down, oh to be a speck of nothing in the vast universe where her problems couldn't even be seen. Peter stays quiet and she keeps going, it makes her nostalgic about the situation.

“... I know it's late, but what is it that you like about him, i want to understand.'' Peter laughed mirthlessly and it sent a wave of gut wrenching despair.

“A little late for that '' She wants to grab his hand, but it won't do to coddle him and she knows he will reject her if she tries.

“Still i would like to hear it. Please?” He looks at her for a second and switches to look to the front of the ship to the vast ocean surrounding them.

“Fine, fine!” So he does, Peter spends an hour talking about all the things that bothered him about Elias, but all of them accompanied about the things he loved. 

Small things, like the way he would snort when he laughed for real, how Peter could tell he was upset since he kept biting his lip, how he would pout about losing and flushed when he grabbed his hand.

All things that painted a completely different picture of the person she met. That made her feel worse for pushing him to snap at her to cause them to fight. 

Finally, Peter seemed to run out of things to say and remained quiet.

“I'm sorry. For not listening, it's hard and I worry for you, more than the others, I worry that one day the lonely would take you away even with the vast protecting you. I was afraid that he would use you and it would hurt you, but in the end I was the one to do that. You are an adult and my little brother, it's difficult for me to not view you as such” Peter drops his head down and sighs. 

“Im mad, but i don't hate you. I'm just frustrated, when Judy got all of us to meet her boyfriend you were supportive. When i did, you ended up planning for him to leave by making him fight you” She closes her eyes.

“I know and I can't apologize enough…. I'll make things right, I swear. Would you… would you get back together?”

“I don't know, i reckon he might not want to, considering what happened i don't want for all of you to fight”

“I won't, neither will the others” After that she goes and jumps out of the ship.

There is a bureaucratic body hopper she needs to apologize to.

It takes her a couple of days to organize her thoughts and figure out what to say, eventually she decides to say fuck it and just go for it. Stella goes to the Magnus Institute, she figures that if she has to do this she may as well do it somewhere where the man feels more in control.

In the reception she sees a Secretary and she asks if she could speak with Mister Bouchard.

“Im sorry, but you need to make an appointment” She smiles serenely at her.

“I know but I'm Stella Fairchild and I need to speak with him about something important? Could you perhaps let him know im he-” She is interrupted by a phone call, the receptionist picks up and after a small pause looks at her and then hangs up.

“It seems he is waiting for you, shall i take you to his office?”

“If you don't mind?”

They walk a few hallways and during the entire trip the feeling of being watched grows tenfold. She supposes it is only fair. Once at the door the woman knocks and when they hear Elias voice saying come on in, she leaves.

Stella opens the door.

The office is very nicely illuminated and has an old look to it, behind the desk on the wall there is a rather big painting of Jonah Magnus himself and she tries not to smile at the rather obvious inside joke Elias must have with it. The man in question is sitting behind his desk reading paperwork, he hasn't looked up for a second.

She takes him in, he looks as impeccable as always, but there is something of a tense set to his shoulders, when she approaches to sit in front of him she sees very light bags under his eyes and a twitch in his mouth.

Peter did say that Elias made that face when upset and she is surprised to see it. That gives her a little reassurance that things can still work. She sits and the room is quiet, but for the shuffle of papers and pen scratching.

Taking a deep breath she decides to start. 

“I came to apologize, I'm sorry for everything, for the fight and my attempts at getting you to react. The others were cautions on my directions, but they weren't ill spirited” Elias keeps writing and she keeps going.

“We did not like you, for several reasons and it made it harder for us to try and not be suspicious towards you. The thing is we worry about Peter and you are… well not what we ever expected for a possible partner for him. The whole age difference and according to Simon, deals to obtain money for funding he told me about made me wary. But, we could have put it away, Judith was the first to try and make us give you the benefit of the doubt, however no matter how we approached you in the past months you evaded all our questions and-” She looks to the window, the sound of writing stopped.

“And you made all of us uncomfortable with some of your comments, they all sounded too… pointed and particular, I understand it's within your nature to do that, but not to be rude, that's how you would treat your employees or business partners, not the family of your fiance. I learned more about you listening to Peter talk for an hour than in these last few months. And.. he wasn't even wrong, you are making the face he said you do when upset”

“I do not-”

“You do, your mouth curves in a barely repressed frown, I know because I heard him go in about a tangent about your mouth that honestly left me feeling very unsettled” She looks at him.

“He loves you”

“So what” She stares at him better and he looks back at her.

“I thought you were going to hurt him, and maybe you will, but that is something he should be able to face for himself, not because I messed things up, but because it's his life. I want to think you like him too, maybe love him in some weird way. Could you talk with him? None of us will ever bother you again or ask questions about you, we will all be civil during dinners or get togethers, hell you don't even have to come if you don't want to, Peter wont make you. But please just try and talk things out with him, he misses you a lot” Elias looks to the side and frowns.

“And you will not say anything else about the matter then?”

“No, nothing, they others won't won't be a problem” 

“And you?” Stella looks incredulous at him.

“What about me? I will be the face of politeness, you can hate me all you like, but as long as you two talk and fix things i'm ok with it”

“I do not hate you, i highly respect you, enough to be wary, the way Peter and Simon spoke of you- nevermind i digress, also as you say having all of you be polite as if you were my… employees seems counterproductive. Peter would not like that either. He values your opinion” She feels the beginning of a headache.

“Maybe before, but i dont think… Not the point. Besides what else is there to do?” The man remains quiet and eventually he responds in a very soft tone.

“... i do not like discussing myself” Turning to him she puts a “no shit” face, then she remembers Simons talk with her.

“Look we dont- we dont want to know the nitty gritty details of your life, only if you really love Peter and i don't know, um what is your favourite book, what music do you hear, stuff we can use to get you a christmas present or birthday one, or to have a conversation that doesn't sound like we’re facing a bond villain. We already met you expecting the worst, how much could we judge you for your hobbies, i mean what do you do, steal childrens candy?” Finally his face flushes in embarrassment.

“Not at all, they are more mundane than that, I will admit in all my previous relationships that most of my partners did not have close family so I was rather used to not dealing with any of this. Not only that, but he cares a lot about you and it's- weird, I thought he was alone when i met him, he doesn't give the impression of really having close relationships, but i was wrong. Now that i know a little better it makes sense why… i did initially think he was a Lukas until Simon presented him as family”

“... You didn't know”

“No, not for lack of interest, he let me see things, but mostly if he couldn't find the words to- well you know him better so you know what i mean. Besides, if I do it without permission I get… nauseous at best” Makes sense.

“Also, i need to apologize for-”

“Did you tell him that you…”

“Did you not?”

“I told Clara, Judy and Aaron that you just sent me something unpleasant to see and I retaliated. I haven't spoken to Peter until three days ago” Looking ashamed he looks to the side.

“I breezed through it, saying that I gave you a nasty thought too and you pushed back.” Stella is very tired.

“Let's just, not mention this to anyone, deal?”

“... What if you want an excuse to-”

“No, let me stop you there. I won't, i would have to explain some things you showed me i would rather not”

“Again, apologies” Stella smiles, tired more than anything.

“So”

“So…” They have reached an impasse.

“The way i see it, the only way for this to work-”

“Would be to cooperate?”

“Yes, at least if you really care for my brother” Elias looks at her and sits back looking also very tired, more human to her at least.

“I.. thought he was fun at first to just talk with and maybe mess around a little, but i wouldn't have accepted his proposal if i didn't feel something for him. Simon is right that i do things for funding for the institute, but not marriage, that is- well, there are limits. So what then?”

“Compromise, like I said, be honest, we don't care what you do, I mean, do not be overly obvious about the evil supernatural for Judith and Aarons sake, none of us go into full detail for them so take that into account. But act less like an evil manager and more like, i don't know, however you do with Peter. If we ask you what your hobbies are, answer, try and relate and in turn they will all do the same. It's not rocket science…”

“Fine, but it won't be… easy. Do I get to make demands?”

“It sure as hell won't, of course like i say a compromise”

“If I don't want to say something, will i be shamed?”

“No, not even us want to talk about everything we do”

“Good, If i want to know something, will you tell me too?” She muses it a little.

“If i feel comfortable with it? Sure, i expect the same respect as you”

“Agreed, anything else that they don't like..?”

“Don't get into our heads”

“I- “She looks at him pointedly and he pulls a little face.

“I will try is the best i can say, you can't fault me for being..”

“Paranoid?”

“Overly cautious, people don't really like me as you may be aware”

“Then will you talk with Peter?” He smiles sadly.

“I would but i hardly think he would want to, i did say a lot of stuff that-”

“I spoke with him and i made it clear it was my own fault for trying to get you to react, he also.. misses you a lot, he was very upset and like i said “ She looks at him softly “ He loves you and it's very obvious, apologize and talk things out please”

“I will.. try my best. No idea how would that play out”

“Me neither, but it's something, well that was all, i should be going” Stella starts to get up.

“He loves you a lot, the others too” He sounds very sure of himself so she smiles at him, she… wants to believe him, but…

The knowledge he gave her made her think about it twice, maybe it was stupid of her to think that she wasnt still the same as before. Still hurting them without meaning to.

She goes to the door and leaves like a regular person, later that day she traps 5 people in an elevator and stays free falling for a long, long while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeey! I decided to add more chapters. I just really love this verse and the characters a lot ok? Sibling exploration and trauma at its finest.  
> The dinner ended up.. badly for sure.   
> The next chapters are written up so they will be posted fast. After I finish with the angst I'll get to add like two or three chapters of funny wacky sibling shenanigans.


	3. AARON

Aaron was worried, after he spoke with Stella he had wanted to go to her place like usual, but Judith insisted on letting her have some time to herself, his sister had been very adamant about it. So he didn't call or go to her place like he usually did.

Judith called him and told him Peter and Elias fixed things and that they were having dinner at their place, when he asked if Clara and Stella were coming, she said that Clara told her she was busy and that the next time they would invite Stella, but since things were tense with her it was for the best it was just the four of them.

He will admit that he did not like that one bit, the guilt was already starting to eat at him, never had they met up like that without telling Stella, it was awful.

The dinner was… surprisingly good, very awkward at first, but unlike the other times, Elias seemed to actually be more honest and answered questions, Peter would tease hima little if he was being too closed off and it would go into bantering. They seemed happy and Aaron was glad, he just wished that they could all be there.

The next two weeks had been nerve wracking, he ended up cracking after 4 days and called Stella, but the call went to voicemail so he left a message. Maybe she was out, he rationalized, their sister had a life after all. Then two days later he tried again with the same result, Aaron kept trying and it all went to voicemail.

Panic was starting to set in. He could already hear his therapist voice in his head telling him it was his separation anxiety kicking in.

The thing is, Aaron remembered the mansion the least of all of them, that should be a blessing after all, unlike the rest of their siblings he couldn't recall much about their childhood in Mooreland, but it didn't mean it didn't leave a mark, not really, what he remembers is the feeling of being separated, of being alone and that no matter how much he cried no one would come for him. 

Judith for the longest time was the only comfort he had and he knew that it would get them in trouble, he remembers his room sometimes being locked and not being able to leave if he had spent too much time with her the previous day. 

Peter had been scary back then, he wanted him to play with them, to have someone else to cling too, but he always rejected them and left them on their own. 

Aaron wanted a brother to play with. 

It wasn't until they were staying with the Fairchilds that things changed and he had started to actually have happy memories of being with him, building models, making puppets of sea creatures stealing Judith's cookies without her noticing, helping him convince Stella to sneak them out to the roof to stargaze.

He was vaguely aware that it had been due to Stella, she was the one who took them, who managed to get Peter to come with! Something that he almost gave up on. One day he started to slowly spend time with them and he had been so happy…

The first thing he admitted when much, much later he went to a therapist it was that at some point he switched from viewing Judith as his only form of comfort to the rest of their siblings, but specially Stella, he very embarrassedly admitted that he kinda viewed her more like a real mother figure since he did not have any memories of their own and he did not want to meet her anyways.

The woman had been very understanding about it, saying that due to their harsh upbringing and to the new environment they started to live in, so different from before, their sister took a more prominent role and that at such a young age it was understandable for him to fix on it.

To her it seemed that first it was Judith in that role, but later when things between them seemed to patch up and his sister had more space to grow he managed to cling to Stella.

Aaron had in very nebulous terms explained to the therapist that their real family had been very religious and that they kept them separated and against each other, that they were raised in a very… different manner. She looked at him and with kind yet firm words told him that from what he described it sounded more like a form of religious cult.

The first time he heard that it floored him so hard he had to take a break, she patted his back and gave him time to recover. She wasn't wrong, that was the worst part, the description she gave, the details, everything fitted and it was such a horrible thing to realize.

But the worst was the fact that he knew that the god they worshipped was real, that he couldn't tell her why the morning fog sometimes made him freeze, why staying in a room that was completely empty or worse filled with people made him nauseous.

Then there was the leaving, Aaron was terrified that one day his siblings would be gone. It wasn't so bad at first, it didn't really hit him, until the Lukas took Peter. 

That's when he realized that any day, be it the Lukas, the forsaken or any other avatar, could just one day take his family away from him and he would be so terribly alone, that the fog would come for him and eat him only spitting his bones back.

Aaron couldn't stand that, when Stella first moved out he ended up having a panic attack by the day, because he forgot she wasn't in the house with them anymore. That's why he started to sneak into her house from time to time, he learned to pick a lock and broke in the first time, he needed to know she was still there, later he would also call, but the habit never left.

He is aware that his siblings also break in for maybe a different type of fear, but one that also has to do with their childhood. Only Judith goes to a therapist besides him, Peter, Stella and Clara all took to their gods and hoped for the best. He is not sure it's better, it feels like slapping a bandaid over a serious injury.

His Therapist Julia asked him what he did when he went to Stella’s house, the answer was embarrassingly simple, he liked to water her plants and buy her food, since he knew she was busy and sometimes forgot or when Peter or Clara went and stole her food, leaving the pantry empty. He liked to help her out.

She wrote some things and then asked if he also went into his other siblings houses. He shook his head. He visited Judith often enough and Peter’s job made it so that he was at sea rather often so it was harder to get in contact. Clara of course he called but did not go to her place, the feeling of wrongness it gave him despite not knowing why was enough deterr him to go.

When asked why he didn't have such a visceral reaction to them being on their own he had to think about it. It's not that he wasn't worried about it, sometimes he couldn't sleep by thinking about Peter alone at sea or Judith simply disappearing one day from their lives. Just the thought of it could bring him to tears.

On one occasion he was supposed to go to Judith's place while she was home, he rang the doorbell of her building to let her know he was there, but she never answered, he kept trying. Twenty minutes later he was two seconds away from going to the police thinking something happened to her, when she finally appeared.

The light was out and the button of the doorbell didn't work. She came to see why he hadn't arrived, also being worried as hell, The moment she opened the door he hugged her and started crying, it took him a minute to realize she was as well.

So the issue was to Aaron at least, that Stella was an unknown variation, he could never tell what she was thinking, she was extremely caring to them once they left Mooreland, it was a hard progress, but slowly she got the hang of it and it was easy to see she loved them. 

But, but, but.

Aaron was not stupid and he knew that Stella would have left without them, like Clara did.

He is terrified that one day she will do it and that they will never see her again, that she would get tired of them and leave the family.+

It was stupid, there was no way she would, Stella was kind and loving to them, she checked on them, made sure to always be there at any important event, looked after them when sick, put up with their antics with a laugh, learned about the things that they liked and if she couldnt listened to them talk about their interest and ask questions.

Julia asks if he ever spoke of those fears with any of their siblings and.. no, he can't bring himself to do it. How could he admit that he thought Stella would be capable of leaving them, that he loses sleep over their siblings' whereabouts. 

No, he cant.

Then she asks if he tells her how much he is grateful for all the things she does and he says that Stella knows that he loves her.

She speaks in a no nonsense manner. If he and his siblings, to his own admittance, have some issues from their childhood who is to say she doesn't either. The type of upbringing they had was clearly meant to demolish any form of social skill or connection. Stella had been there for the longest and to his own admittance she had been a distant figure before leaving. There was a chance she might not be able to recognize shows of love.

Aaron mulls it over and thanks her for the insight. He doesn't think that it could be the case however.

This brings him to the present, Aaron hadn’t seen Stella in a month and the last they spoke was three weeks ago.

She wouldn't answer his calls.

To say that he was freaking out would be an understatement.

He snaps and goes to her place, why did he listen to Judith? His therapist had been proud of him to take small steps into helping him heal, but this is such bullshit. She doesnt know there are real nightmares and monsters in the world, that his fears are justified.

So he goes and with the key that Stella officially gave him (he made a copy of hers the first week he broke in) and opens her apartment door.

It takes him, despite himself a little to realize what was wrong.

Walking in he shudders at the cold, he shudders in the foyer and when he sees the living room he stops.

The glass of the balcony was frosted over, the room was dusty and the potted plants were dead. The apartment has not been lived in in a while now.

He spots a left over mug in the coffee table, as if Stella had finished it and never came back to put it away.

His breaths are already coming in wrong, he quickly goes to her phone and sees that there were at least 27 messages unheard. His teeth clatter, the cold is horrible. Already panicking he picks up the phone and marks the number of Judith's house, she should already be there at this hour.

From the corner of his eye he spots mist in the kitchen floor and he starts to cry.

Turns out he was right all along. He wishes he wasn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaron might have been the youngest but he is very affected about what happened in Mooreland. Children's need to be interacted positively for development.   
> Also having your blood family kidnap your brother is messed up and it did upset him. Realizing they were a cult and were grooming them was also fucked up along with knowing that they were in fact not any weirdos and that their god was real.  
> Stella being gone is the worst possible outcome for him and the others.  
> They all viewed her in such a way that none of them realized that she might have issues too.


	4. JUDITH

She had heard, Clara had too, they were going to pick up some things and heard Elias and Stella.

Her oldest sister was uncomfortable. It was easy to see, the idea that Stella might be mad at her was not a nice thought, Then of course there was the other half.

Stella resented them.

That nagged at her and she wanted to deny it, if there was something she could credit Stella for, it was that she loved them, but it would make sense in a way. Judith understands that they all deal with things differently.

Clara runs and burns things out of anger and frustration.

Aaron worries about them a lot, so he sticks around to make sure they are safe.

Peter deflects and pretends he is not worried, but hovers to keep you company even if he doesn't say a word or says a lot but means very little.

And Judtih? Judith worries like Aaron, pretends like Peter and cares like Stella.

For that is what Stella does, she cares for them, to the point that Judith sometimes thinks it might be guilt.

So she could understand her resenting them, Judith had always harbored the suspicion that Stella would have left without them. Why she didn't, she never asked, Judith was just glad to not be there anymore.

They all clinged to her like ducklings to their mother, always following her, asking questions and bothering her. She can see her quietly resenting them from not letting her be even as adults. 

So later she would ask Aaron to not contact her for a little, Peter was a mess and they should do something to try and help.

However like always Stella fixed it. She is not bitter, at least that's what she tells her therapist, Judith is just frustrated that no matter what she does, Stella always manages to do better than her. 

The thought comes to her and she feels terrible about it, her sister is not competing with her in any capacity and Judith loves her so much, they all do. She gave them a home and a family even when she didn't have to, when she could have just left. 

It's just frustrating that she had been the one to always get Peter to do things and to make him feel better. She will admit that as childrens by the time they left despite her attempts she had already given up in getting her brother to join them.

When that day her sister had gone to wake Peter she had wanted to yell at her, Peter didn't want them, Peter would be glad to let them go-

_ Peter went with them. _

Judith asked their brother to play with them constantly, worried that he would be like their family, even if she had given up, at 9 it was easy to realize Peter was not going to join then in games. He wasn't like Aaron who always asked for her, for whom she would get locked in her room as punishment and later would do the same anyways.

Her brother didn't try to socialize either at the Fairchilds, Stella was frustrated and Judith felt a spike of satisfaction that left her reeling, it wasn't good to feel like that.

Eventually she must have done something because finally he came around, slowly but he did.

Cooking became their thing, Stella tried to learn with them too, she knew logically that it was too spend time with them, but as a child she finally had something to share with her brother whom she had, unlike her, tried so long to relate. So Judith in a fit told her to find her own hobby and not steal hers.

She froze in terror, she had never responded like that to anyone, her sister looked at her in surprise, but slowly relented and told her that then she would be in charge of the family dinners then. Judith had felt elated but also upset, Stella had smiled at her still and tested all of her attempts along with Peter's cooking.

Judith tells his therapist that was the only time ever Stella had tried to get involved in their hobbies directly. She learned how to cook on her own at some point and only helped them if they asked for her help. Aaron did it constantly and Peter was shy but made an effort to ask since Stella didn't know how to talk non verbally. 

Aaron and her made a bunch of signals while in Mooreland house to talk so that they did not make noise and get punished, eventually they taught Peter, but not Stella.

It was funny to see her freak out about her figuring out what Peter or Aaron wanted without them saying a word.

Even like that she made efforts, when neither felt like talking she asked if they could write, later she told them if they wanted to learn BSL with her, but they shrugged and said they had their own way so she let them.

Judith noticed she didn't ask them to teach her and only smiled at them.

She did that a lot when she thinks in retrospect. 

Smile and look at them, Stella was always watching them from afar.

Peter and Elias got together and he asked her if she wanted to have dinner at his place again. She happily told her yes and asked casually if she should call Stella or if he did.

He remains quiet for a minute and says that just this once it would be them with Clara if she wants to go and Aaron if he is free. Agreeing she asks how things are and the conversation flows.

Judith recognizes that for a long while she had been in charge of Aaron and worried about Peter, not that she still doesn't do it, but at one point she stopped being the sole caretaker and it went to be Stella’s job. Judith went to school, struggled but made friends, when she had troubles her sister helped her and gave her advice, she combed her hair, helped pick up clothes for her school dance, her first date… Stella was there always to help when she needed her.

She didn't realize it until his therapist pointed it out in a session that her sister took on a motherly role for them, she denied it saying that she viewed her as her sister nothing else.

“Yes, but it doesnt change the fact that she took that role as a main caregiver, you had more new extended family to count on and yet, did you ever ask any of them for such things?”

The answer was no.

Stella went to school meetings with Simon, who was their legal tutor until she was eighteen, she took them to the doctor, went to their events, graduations, all of it.

When she got engaged she told her first, when she thought about someone walking with her during her wedding it was her.

She loves her sister more than anything, but she can't help but to be jealous of her and it bothers her to feel like that.

  
  


The dinner was good, Elias was far more open now, it was weird a little at the beginning and then there was the obvious lack of appearance of their oldest sisters that was glaringly obvious. 

It was as if there was a wormhole there and they were all tilted in their axis wrong due to it.

Victor acted weird when she went home, her fiance was sweet and kind and knew loneliness first hand. It almost made him something else, but her sister came back from the End, their father had not been kind and Elizabeth was gone, Victor was alone for the first time and he almost… but she came back. As something else true, but she did. So he knew what the feeling of the fog was, they understood each other and their own coping mechanisms. 

That's why he never was bothered by her leaving sometimes to go to Stella's in the morning. It started when her sister had moved out and it was only Peter, Aaron and her. Their brothers were unruly and upset. Aaron was more obvious in his discomfort but Peter wasn't left behind he just hid it better by going around to explore and not let them see him. 

The thing that always accompanied her from Mooreland was the quiet, the silence made her uneasy in such a way it was hard to not panic. She was an early riser and the mansion was always quiet with her siblings still asleep. 

Stella also woke up earlier, so Judith would always go to the kitchen and make breakfast with her there. With her gone the quiet was deafening. 

So when Aaron broke in and made a copy of her keys she asked for one too. Four times a week at first she would appear there. Only the first time she caught her off guard and Stella almost threw her into the vast thinking she was a thief. Afterwards she just rolled with it and let her get away with it, without asking questions.

That's why by now she was thinking about going to her place, screw it, Judith needed Stella, she would apologize for everything and ask what she could do to make her not hate them. Because she was scared that her sister would hate her for being so petty, for not letting her be and for cutting her off. Judith wanted her in her life, she needed her, they all did. They were the only ones who could understand what it was like growing up like they did. 

Unfortunately her plans of fixing things and making it right crashed and burned when Aaron calls her crying hysterically and telling her that Stella was gone, gone, gone, the fog took her.

Judith was frozen In place and her mind could only think that it was her fault.

With a calm that she did not feel she managed to instruct Aaron to get out of the apartment and wait for her in the lobby, she couldn't even be angry at him for not doing it immediately, so she breathed in and out and told him to copy her. Once his breath was minimally normal she told him to wait for her.

Hanging up she had to take her own calming breaths and think.

What does she do? How can she help ? The truth is she didn't have a clue. She needed help, but the one she depended on was gone.

She calls Clara. 

Peter was at sea and wouldn’t come back until tomorrow. 

Clara was about to ask her what was up but she just told her what Aaron said and that she didn't know what to do.

The line went quiet.

After 30 seconds where she freaked out, her sister said that she would meet her at Stella's and hung up.

Judith grabbed her purse and made a run for it. 

The good thing was that all of her siblings' apartments were close to Stella's. With the amount of times they just stayed there or broke in it was a necessity.

So in record time she managed to get there.

When she saw Aaron she threw herself at him and vice versa. 

Clara found them like that, she looked very much out of her element and said that she would check the place, holding her brother's hand she said that she would go to.

Her brother made an upset noise and Clara shook her head.

"Better If you dont kid, I don't think you would-" 

" I'm an adult I can- I want to-" looking at her, Clara sighs and leads them to the apartment at the top of the building. 

Once she opens the door and they get in she gets a feeling of sorrow and loneliness so bad that her eyes start to weep. She sniffs trying to stop herself from crying, she could never quit doing that even at this age.

Once standing in the living room she makes a choked sound and has to leave. Clara stays.

It was her fault, Judith was an ungrateful kid and her big sister is gone.


	5. CLARA

She hates this feeling, when she left it was because she felt like she was dying. She left a note for Lydia since she was the one she was closest to, in whatever manner was possible in that place.

The outside world was scary and living alone like that was hard, but it was also liberating. Later she finds her calling in the shape of the desolation, and relishes in the broken bridges she left around. The hurt she could make to let the world know how much she hated it.

Clara was angry, it was an universal truth. Angry about their situation, about her siblings, about everything. 

She had wanted Stella, back then Lydia and that in a way also hurt, for she killed the part of her that was her companion in that hell hole. To be her playmate, her confidant in that nightmare, but when it became obvious that punishment awaited her for her effort she became cold. Not uncaring, but cold where Clara runned hot.

Lydia was cold and detached to not deal with their situation. But it didn't completely make her bad, she still chose to bump into her or hold their pinkies when no one could see them. So she was there, she was trying.

Then there were her other siblings, Judith was caring and took Aaron in, Clara’s bitterness for them came from the fact that she wanted that from Lydia, to try even with the consequences, so she acted accordingly and was mean to them for being a reminder of what she couldn't have.

Then there was Peter, nowadays thanks to, again, Stella they had a rather good relationship, but back then he was the target of her anger, for she saw a perfect little drone who was going to become like the rest of the Lukases and get rid of them.

She had been cruel to him.

Later Stella would tell her they were wrong and that he was just as trapped as them, that they misjudged. It stung.

The truth always did.

Clara assumed that Lydia wouldn't care about her leaving. It was stupid of her to think so, the comment that corporated Weasel made about how she always let her deal with problems on her own was unfair. She just- 

She just didn't know what to do, she hurted, she burned, she didn't fix or create. She didn't know how to look after her siblings. Clara didn't know how to be an older sister.

Sometimes she felt like a child, it was easy to let Stella do the caring, already well versed on it and she, so starved for the feeling for it let her do it, she had wanted the companionship for so long that once she got it, she couldn't stop herself from wanting more, demanding it in fact. 

Clara also felt so far away from her siblings too, they had so many memories that they shared together and she was left out. Due to her own choices sure, but it still hurt.

So she pretends everything is fine, helps Peter when they meet up after his breakup and ignores Stella.

It was due to anger and honestly? Shame, shame for being such a useless older sibling. Her sister was in fact the one to arrange things and help her and the others out. She was just the unruly one that let the kids play with fire while their more responsible sibling was out.

Responsibility was not her thing, caring either, she tried because she wanted to be in their lives now, all of them.

Watching movies at Judiths, going out with Aaron to let him loosen up, hell committing petty crimes with Peter and boy was that a surprise.

Burning a boat was a sigh, her brother had such a happy little grin and the feeling of loss for not knowing she could have had this so long ago fuels her and makes her feel bad for missing out on things.

As for Stella she… drops unannounced and calls her to bail her out, no wonder she doesn't really trust her with their siblings if she shows how much of a troublemaker she is. It's easy to let her be in charge and look after them, after her!

She had wanted her to be there for her for so long that now that she has it, she blew it. Clara treated her like her caretaker and not her equal.

When Judy asks if she wants to go to dinner with the newly recovered couple she declines and claims to be busy. She doesn't trust herself to not punch Elias and ask him what he saw, what does he know. What does Stella think about her, about them. Clara has never been able to understand her sister in all her life and she wants so badly to know how much she hates her, or resent her for her failings to their family.

Later she gets a call from Judith, she was about to cut her off, but she starts to panic and tells her that Aaron went to see Stella and she was gone, the apartment had mist and looked like she haven been there in a while.

If there is one thing that Clara had never worried after she met Stella again, it was about forsaken taking her. She had her siblings, her god, there was no reason for her to succumb to it.

She stays quiet for too long and she can hear her sister starting to sniff the same way she had always done when crying.

So she tells her to go and that she will meet her up there.

Then she hangs up and has time to realize that she has never really tried to know Stella and how she felt. How it was always her assumptions about their siblings that led her to lose them and this time maybe forever.

The thing is she doesn't really have much hope for her to be alive. Time in that place works wrong and for all they know Stella could be dead.

But forcing herself to move, with her loss already feeding her god she moves to go. Before that, she picks up the card with the number for emergencies Stella gave her. Maybe she is gone, but she will try, she owes her that.

Judith and Aaron were already crying, she tried to convince her sister to not come, but she was stubborn and worried so she did not put up a fight.

It didn't take long to realize their brother was right and that was when Judy ran off.

Stella would be mad she even let her come.

Checking around she opens the balcony frosted glass doors to let air in and see the sun, then she sees the forgotten mug, the phone with lost calls and it's not a nice picture.

She knows Peter was the last one of their siblings Stella spoke to, then obviously the weasel since they made up, dinner invitation was a week later, so two weeks and a half unaccounted.

The first message was Aarons and it was four days after the dinner. The timeline was close, still it didn't help and she didn't know what to do.

Sighting she picks up the phone and calls.

Simon Fairchild did not like her one bit, so by her god she would punch an old man in the face to get him to help if he refuses to.


	6. SIMON

He had known the Lukases for generations, he had seen the kids there growing up at Mooreland and he had never done anything to help them. It wasn't really his business. Simon didn't have time for such small things to bother him, however he did not expect to grow so fond of one of them.

Peter was a Lukas for sure, he had the looks and the quiet reservation of one, yet, yet he had been curious.

Where his siblings would run off, unsure of him, the boy would stay and listen about his stories about the ocean and the sky with apt interest. His mouth couldn't help but twitch in a smile. Forsaken would be fitting, but in another life he would have made a wonderful addition to the vast.

Simon didn't make real connections, people were small things, tiny and insignificant, but he found himself visiting and dropping more often to see the boy before he was crushed and remade to his familys liking. It would be a shame. True, but he would have to live with it.

He wanted to take the boy under his wing and run off very much so, in his old heart he would admit the boy was the closest thing to a nephew he had, or if he were being overly affectionate to a grandson. 

Simon has a lot of Fairchilds, some who have children of their own that he amuses and plays with, but he is not really close to them in a way that matters, Sure they hang up and have fun at family get togethers, unlike the Lukases, but there is, heh, distance among them. They all have to fly away from the nest and get to live in this great big, vast world.

His siblings were another matter, the oldest was cruel and Peter, despite his aloofness, seemed intimidated by her fiery and mean spirited comments, the youngest was too soft and clingy of the other girl Judith, then finally there was Lydia.

The girl was… odd. He could tell there was something vast in there, but if she put her mind into it forsaken would take root too. Peter seemed like he disliked her, but to Simon it gave him more the impression of a younger sibling being difficult to try and get her attention. Like he was competing with her.

It was sad honestly, to see him look with what he assumes was longing to the girl walking to the forest when they were sitting outside talking. Lydia didn't seem interested in any of her siblings at all.

So colour him surprised when the girl came to his place with all three of her younger siblings hanging from her. She wanted to be a Fairchild and he knew that, but she also had forsaken taking hold. So a test is needed to see where she would fall.

If she died, he would look after Peter and the other children, he was a monster but not the kind that would just dispose of the kids he didn't planned for. He wasn't a Lukas after all. 

His worries were for nothing, for the girl had passed and she looked radiant. 

Peter was his favourite, but Stella had grown close too, she had his same love for the sky and the passion to paint it. He remembers the painting that he helped make that made him fall in love with it in the first place and he saw the same happiness in her at watching her own art.

Seeing her following in his artist footsteps was a delightful surprise. 

Not to say she wasn't still a little bit of a mess, she struggled to understand what her siblings wanted and needed, especially Peter, but she made, he will admit, an effort. She took her role as caregiver seriously, too much really. Stella worried so much for her siblings she forgot to look after herself.

Where the others made friends and she encouraged them to, she struggled and eventually gave up, only caring for her coworkers or her family. Half of the time she would just drop to where he was and rant to him about her issues. When he asked amused if she didn't have any friend to tell, she looked at him and said that she just did.

It would be fun if it wasn't sad that her only “friend” was a 500 year old man. Albeit he does think she and Mikaele get exceptionally well, if Peter wasn't so embarrassed by the prospect of her older sister being friends with his own sort of friend it would be great.

But alas, she wouldn't really do something to truly upset her brother, so she talks only sometimes with the other sailor.

Simon would admit that the whole Peter/Elias thing was a honest surprise.

Stella being so horrified by the prospect might have been his fault, the fight and eventual breakup was a likely outcome of his comments, causing her to get overly suspicious and make rash decisions. So he went to set things straight with her.

He loves his granddaughter, but he does worry a little about her.

Simon views the four childrens as different things to him, Stella and Peter as his grandchildren, while Judith and Aaron as his sort of nephews.

Meaning he tends to spoil and favour Peter and Stella a little bit more, but he doesnt let the others behind.

He cares for the other two, Judith makes cloud cakes in his and Stella’s honor and he goes to buy them and leave a hefty tip every time. Aaron was delighted to work with the Fairchild company to be an architect and design buildings for him and Stella to jump from.

Clara he did not particularly like or care for. He doesn't take any measures with her since it would really cause a fight with Stella and he would rather avoid it.

That's why when he answers the phone of his private apartment and hears her telling him not to hang up, he was very much thinking about it.

“Stella is- She got- got taken by forsaken im at her place, the others are too, well in the lobby since they freaked out, but she told me to call you if there was an emergency and this is one” Simon was a man who took things lightly, but this sort of stumped him.

He did always think that this could happen, he just never really expected it to happen now, before when she was younger, sure, but not now.

“On my way!” He goes to his window and jumps, he even forgones the walking cane.

Then he drops in Stella’s balcony and oh, her sister was right, the place was plagued by loneliness. When he last saw her it wasn't! So what changed in so little time to make her go out like this?

“I know you don't like me, but is there anything to do??”

“Does Peter know?” Out of everyone he is the most likely to be able to help and get them the help they need.

“He is at sea until tomorrow, so no, only Aaron and Judith. Can you help us?”

“... in a way, not me in particularly, but i do need Peter to help”

“is she- is she even still…” The girl, for that is what she looks like, a girl forever stuck in her rebellious stage looks lost, for being desolation she is not looking good.

“If she wasn't the fog would be gone, no need to leave a reminder” Her face looks hopeful for the first time.

“Now! Go get your siblings here, i'm going to get Peter and some actual help, yes? So you only need to keep them calm”

“Im- it's probably our fault” Simon stops and looks at her, wondering if he can actually drop her “None of us had been talking with her or coming by, maybe she assumed that... “

“Judith and Aaron too?” She looked uncomfortable.

“I knew Judy wasn't, I didn't expect Aaron to be honest. Peter was upset so i figured he wouldn’t visit her in awhile” He looks to the side and tries to think.

“Why weren’t you talking with her exactly?” She tenses.

“We heard her during her fight with Elias and… he said some things about what she thought and Judy and I heard” Oh dear.

“I see, look we will reach that when we do, now go for your siblings ok?”

“Sure, i'll try to-” He falls again before she finishes, he loves the feeling of vertigo and the feel of the wind in his face. Soon he sees the ocean looking down and his fall starts to slow until he is standing again in a ship.

The ocean surrounds them.

Looking around he quickly goes and finds the man in his quarters, startling him.

“Simon! What are you-”

“Do you mind telling Thaddeus that you need to leave? There is a little situation and i require your assistance in convincing Elias to help” His grandson looked confused and a little annoyed.

“Couldn’t it wait until I got back tomorrow…?”

“Well, perhaps, but there is a chance that we might not really be able to get Stella unstuck from forsaken, i mean i'm fairly sure she has been there for two weeks and who knows how long that has been for her already! Honestly Mordechai once told me that he kept a man stuck there for three days before his bones were found so-” Simon talks fast, the more he speaks the paler and paler Peter gets, which is impressive, for the man is the definition of pale by nature.

“What do you mean in forsaken wha- how??! How did she- why- it doesn't” Oh, he is really having an anxiety attack now huh? Maybe he overdid it. Peter is already breathing heavily and looking panicked.

“Hey, hey look listen to me ok? Take a breath, there, there we go, now out and repeat. I have an idea to help, but I need your assistance. Elias has lots of things in the institute and has observed forsaken and the Lukases for a long while so he can help, but he is the sort of person who watches and doesn’t act so you need to convince him to help. I know it's terrifying, but you have to calm down. Now tell Thadeus to man the ship and come along ok?” 

“Was it our- the, the Lukas that did it? M- Mother perhaps…?” He looks so hopeful about it, the thought that Stella would get lonely on her own more terrifying of a concept than the Lukas just coming for revenge.

“Oh my boy, I do not think it was the Lukases at all, Stella just-” The stricken face was hard to watch and Simon could put a lot of things out of mind, but not this.

“Im- Ill tell Thaddeus”

Looking still like he was having a terrible day Peter leaves the room and it takes him five minutes to come back and grab his arm to let him know he is ready.

Again he jumps only this time he falls into the depths of the vast ocean.

When he emerges they are at the institute's door and Peter looks like he is five minutes away from having a meltdown so he hurries him along, hopefully he can get him to change Jonah’s mind and recover his sister and protegé. Simon may not care for practically anyone, not really but he finds he rather likes having a family of his own and he would hate to lose them now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Simon and his relationship with all the kids. Once im done with this little saga of the missing Stella, ill make a couple more extra chapters and maybe a sequel with more lonelyeyes, plus Elias now being stuck with the rest of the family.


	7. ELIAS

Jonah was not expecting to like the Fairchild man so much, when Simon had presented them he just looked at him a little and kept talking with others at the funding party.

It wasn't until later that the man approached him and startled him into a conversation that devolved into petty fighting and a bet that he unbelievably lost.

He!

That they talked and bickered the night away, he was surprised to see how much he had enjoyed himself, it wasn't often that he had someone keeping up with him and his whims.

Peter did.

Later the taller man asked him if he wanted to have another bet and he accepted, now more curious about him than anything. He had the same childish joy that Simon has, but in a more subdued manner, enough that it didn't put him off like the older man, then he had a snarky and dry sense of humor that made him laugh for real.

It took, if he had to be honest, a rather short amount of time to admit he was smitten with him, still he could work with that. Peter was attractive, had some roguish charm and a calm yet cheerful voice that he would admit was rather soothing.

After at least three more bets he had to tease him about this being a very convoluted way to ask him out, he laughed expecting the sailor to deny it but he blushed and Elias knew he was rather fucked. He could stop things at that point, but, but, but.

He was curious and well.

It had been so long since he had so much fun with someone.

Peter asked him properly the next time and he said yes, he realized he had been smiling and felt himself colour.

The man had to leave from time to time, usually two weeks or at most a month, but never for too long. Elias started to slowly know Peter since Beholding had a hard time catching the thoughts of those of the vast, however and it surprised him, the man would make an effort to sometimes let him see a few things. When he asked why, Peter replied that usually he didn't like people knowing him, but that he found it hard to express himself so it was nice to let Elias do it because he would understand easily what he meant without having to actually say it.

However he did ask of him to not dig too much since he really didn't like the feeling of it, but that he would try to communicate as best as he could.

Elias was very touched.

One day where Peter had stayed over at his apartment, Elias woke up to the smell of cooking and had a lovely view of Peter wearing only a shirt and his underwear making him pancakes.

Elias was very truly fucked.

The morning light from the kitchen illuminated him and he looked so handsome. Turning around he spotted him and grinned, letting the plate on the table he went to him, lifted his chin and kissed him softly.

Oh motherfucker.

Elias kisses back and he doesn't need beholding to know he is well and truly fucked over.

When he is done he gives him soft kisses all around his face and he starts to blush. Sighing against his lips he asks him if they can enjoy their breakfast now.

“Of course, how could i say no to my guiding star, you were so unhinged last night i figure you deserved a sweet treat” And then he waggled his eyebrows and Ellas hits him in the chest laughing and cursing at him.

Things were well.

Peter spoke to him about his siblings, his younger brother, and older sisters. Elias was very surprised about how happy he sounded about them. In particular he took notice of the oldest one, Stella. He investigated a little and saw some pictures of her paintings, they were of the sky, but it was he would admit, impressive the detail and passion to them.

Peter was very proud of her, if someone asked Elias, he would say that she was his favourite sibling no doubt. He spoke of her very highly, not that he didn't do the same about Judith or Aaron, but there was a line of… not reverence but he was very attached, he couldn't really tell why.

Just like why he couldn't figure out why the man had a single lock of pure with hair. He would often play with it while Peter was lying on top of him, but when he asked the man looked very uncomfortable and changed the conversation.

Elias knew he was in deep with the man when he agreed to have a date in his ship. Jonah hated the ocean, there were so many unknown factors there, not to mention the chance of drowning. Beholding makes him remember vividly the time in his youth when he was 8 that he almost drowned and dumped all the information about the dangers of the ocean on him. The date ends with him sea sick and Peter despite being able to feed on his fear tending to him and lamenting the whole thing.

Elias was wrapped in Peter’s coat while the man was pretty much cuddling him in his quarters softly caressing his face.

He bumped his forehead with his and told him to shut up and just hug him until they reached the shore again.

The proposal had been a surprise in the sense that neither of them were expecting it, the bet had started like their usual ones, Peter had won and they had ended up walking around London talking while they people watched tring to make another bet, when they passed a jewelry shop and he had to stop to look at a golden ring with an emerald in the center.

Peter stopped and standed next to him, following his eyes he saw the ring and ended up rolling his eyes and entering the shop. Elias stayed there looking bewildered when not 5 minutes later Peter came out with a velvet box and offered it to him.

Elias choked a sound and tried to make a joke about the whole ordeal.

“Why Peter, I would love to marry you” He did his most sarcastic and joking tone. The man blinked at him and seemed to finally catch onto what it looked like and started to blush terribly, Elias felt very vindicated.

“I- it wasnt- i just-”

“I know Peter i was just-”

“I mean i would love to marry you! I just didn't want to ask you by accident”

“Teasing…”

They both were standing there looking at each other.

“Oh, sorry i just-”

“You thought about marrying me?”

“... yes..?” Blinking away what were not tears, shut up, he sort of flounders, he never-

“I would love to marry you” Elias realizes he spoke before thinking and now both of them were blushing and gaping like idiots on the sidewalk.

Peter manages to recompose faster.

“Thats- im, ok. Ok. This can be your engagement ring and I will get you a better one! Maybe with some eyes like you like and something written on it and-” He kept talking, Peter grabbed his hand, gave it a squeeze and tugged him to keep walking.

By the times they reached Peter’s apartment Elias was trying to grasp what happened.

After dinner the man, his… fiance asked him to stay a little and proceeded to get on one knee, Elias was freaking out and having another line of thought about the position at the same time.

“Since it came out wrong, now proper this time. Elias Bouchard, Jonah… My lovely Siren would you marry me?” Taking a breath and squating at his level he answers.

“Yes, you silly man, i will” Then he kissed him and the night was a blur.

A few days later Peter says that he would like him to meet his siblings and have dinner with them, so Elias agrees despite the apprehension he feels.

During the night he wakes up and hears Peter talking on the phone with who he assumes is Stella. If there is one thing Elias learned is that the man has an obsession to sometimes leave the house and crash at her sister for no apparent reason, along with calling her at the weirdest time intervals possible. How has she not cursed him out yet for it remains a mystery.

Elias does not presume to understand why Peter acts the way he does with his siblings and he has his own quirks and coping mechanisms that are also weird and his fiance doesn't comment on so he can't be upset about it.

If Peter is comfortable going to his sister’s or calling her at weird times Elias won't judge.

His siblings don't like him.

Well it's a lie, Judith and Aaron don't trust him, Clara definitely doesn't like him and Stella… he can't read what she thinks, but he is sure she doesn't like him either.

Elias doesn't want Peter to be upset about his inability to get along with his siblings so he plays along being nice. He can't be honest with them, Elias doesn't want them to know and judge him more.

The eye tells him that they know he is rotten and that he will hurt Peter and that is why things will go bad soon.

They know, they know, they know.

It rolls around his head and weights him down. He hasn't felt like this since before he got his powers.

Meeting after meeting, They ask questions and Elias dodges, they aren't even bad ones, they are innocuous little things and he can tell their disappointment over not getting answers.

What he does get by trying to dig through them is the little insidious things that bother them.

That's why he does what he does, Stella was just there and everything was just finally too much, fake cheerines hiding how they hate his guts, attempts at getting him, none of it was real, he was just-

He snaps.

Stella seemed baffled enough that he could pull finally from her the worst and he did.

He did not expect what he got.

They had been Lukas, all of them.

Loneliness, a house full of fog and ghosts.

Peter almost died by the forsaken. His hair got the white streak a week after the incident at the mansion.

Stella was a box of feelings all sealed shut and put away to never be dealt with again. She chose to focus on her siblings and put everything behind in an effort to make up for her own perceived wrong doings to them, to the point where she would let herself be sad so they wouldn't.

What she did instead was make it so that none of them could relate and saw her as the perfect and untouchable sibling.

Elias was reeling with anger, worry and confusion so he sent all of that to her and kept sprouting words of venom without meaning too. 

The truth is he panicked and over reacted.

Afterwards he fights with Peter and cuts things off.

He doesn't want to, but he is sure he already ruined things beyond repair.

Yet Stella comes to apologize and convince him otherwise.

Elias.. he tries and it works, Peter misses him. Stella did not tell anyone what he showed her and he could pretend it didn't happen.

The next dinner it was just the four of them Peter, Aaron, Judith and him. He tried to follow his agreement with Stella and it was… nice. He got more out of them and they seemed to actually warm up to him for real this time. His fiance looked happy yet a little sad. It was very noticeable that there was a void where Stella should be. She seemed like the sun and her siblings rotated around her. Elias respected her a lot and thought that maybe they could actually get along now.

  
  


Elias had been tending to his paperwork, the day was slow and Gertrude was fortunately not at the institute, albeit he will have to check what expenses she made while away to explain in the budgeting.

It was very calm until he spotted through the paintings in the wall of the institute Simon and Peter who looked paler than usual. His pen made a scratch on the paper and he blinked confused.

Peter wasn't supposed to arrive until tomorrow. He had left two days later after the dinner with his siblings on a trip to feed the vast and he didn't expect him to be back. 

He started to try and skim in his head what had him looking so bad, but got dizzy and could only get a feeling of dread and anxiety along with worry. So something did happen. Elias got up and started to get closer to the door.

When it opens the two men stop and look at him, Peter looks lost at Simon and the old man looked deceptively calm. Like the eye of the storm.

“Why hello Jonah, or well Elias now right? Sorry to barge in here, but we needed your expertise in a very delicate manner. You see, is there an artifact that lets you traverse the lonely perhaps in your disposition?” He looks in complete bafflement at Simon.

“Excuse me? Why do you need such thing i-”

“Yes, yes, then another thing, with your sight could you see someone in particular that was stuck there? To at least let us know if they are… well ok” He hesitates and looks at Peter who seems to wilt at the statement.

“Simon…” He warns him 

“It seems dear Stella might have gotten a little… lonely this past few weeks. So I reckon you might help, well and Peter of course” His mouth turns into a line, he looks worriedly at Peter, but he immediately tries to see. Beholding wants to know what would happen if a vast avatar was stuck in forsaken, how long could she survive there.

Elias wants to know.

Barnabas didn't last more than three days, albeit when he looked at him, he saw that it was far longer for him there than it was outside.

He twitches in place, Simon smiles cruelly at him.

“Peter, it seems your husband to be is having some difficulty”

“Elias..?” Oh to watch or not. Peter looks at him, really looks at him and his face turns blank.

“Oh”

No,nonono.

“Heh, i guess Stella wasn't wrong then huh-?” His voice cracks and he looks-

It's not fair, it really isn't.

Elias has to choose. Peter starts to turn around and he finally manages to see.

“She is alive!” Peter stops and turns so fast he might get whiplash. Elias feels like he might get a headache soon.

“I know a way to walk through forsaken, but we need someone marked by it or it would just swallow them. It's in artifact storage” Beholding is not happy, not one bit, but just this once…

“Why Elias, if she comes back i will pay you extra! In fact, I believe if it works you will get a lot, and I mean a lot of statement givers” Simon grins maniacally at him, the bastard did this on purpose.

“I can go, i was marked by it” No

“Maybe an avatar could-”

“Who? No Lukas would help and there isn't any other avatar that would” Elias knows that, but he is terrified that Peter would get stuck too and not be able to come back like Barnabas.

“We will see, let me go get the object ok? Then we can go to her place”

He walks fast and once there requests the box in question. The locket is in place.

Before reaching his office he tells his secretary that he has a.. family emergency and needs to leave. So please reschedule everything for tomorrow. Picking up his coat and bag he goes witht the other two and leaves to the entrance.

“What I don't understand is how exactly did she.. I mean, she was fine last time I saw her!”

“No idea, you were probably the last one to speak with her. I think” It gives him pause.

“Excuse me?” He looked at Peter, he assumed the man went to see her when he wasn't present, or even his siblings as he now knew they all dropped at her place constantly.

“Oh yes, apparently Judith and Clara were upset with her and didn't go to see her or visit her this entire time! Aaron too albeit i don't know why really” Simon sounded chipper, the more he spoke the more Peter looked annoyed.

“That makes no sense! I- they had no reason to be mad at her!” Yes they did not and yet… 

Simon gives him a calculating look.

Elias grimaces, Stella never told Peter or her siblings what he showed her, but if they heard and didn't tell her…

She was stuck with what he showed her, while being isolated unknowingly.

It was his fault.

Elias had never meant for this to happen.

“Oh, I might… it might be my- fault” Peter looks at him and frowns.

“How?”

“The fight, I showed her… some things that your siblings thought about her that were… not nice and said some things she thought out loud. They might had been close by and heard and… got mad at her”

Peter stops and Elias does so, he takes a breath.

“Ok, I'm not going to pretend that isn't awful and the fact you never thought about mentioning was even worse. But right now it's not the time”

“I know, Stella didn't want to… she said we should not speak about it, she didn't want you to be mad” Pinching the bridge of his nose he hears him curse under his breath.

“Regardless, Elias it wasn't right!”

“I know, if you don't want me to-”

“I will stop you there, i love you” He feels way too happy to hear that “But it doesn’t change the fact that if Stella dies and it was in fact due to what you did i'm going to drown you on land” 

“ I will have to drown you in so many painful memories that you will turn into a vegetable if you try. But still I love you too dear, lets get her back so she can be at our wedding complaining about the color scheme ok?” Peter smiles at him and holds his hand.

“Ah young people, with their declarations of murder and love. Let's get a move shall we?”

Snorting he grabs Peters hand tight once they are at the street and they drown.

He chokes and panics but Peter squeezes and they land again on a room. Looking around he sees Stella's apartment and yes, it was absolutely lonely.

Aaron and Judith were sitting down crying while Clara stood awkwardly behind them patting their backs. She muttered curses and he could see her tears evaporate due to her scalding skin.

They were all messes.

And it may very well be his fault.

He truly ruins everything doesn't he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get the proposal and those two being sappy and happy, also Elias realizes he fucked up big deal and makes an effort to help!   
> They are still slight bastards so a little of death threats as flirting never hurts.


	8. PETER

Peter liked the quiet, it was nice to walk the grounds of the mansion in silence, albeit, sometimes the silence was too much. It felt like being squeezed, on those rare occasions he hid nearby his siblings to hear the soft murmurs of Judith and Aaron.

Judith would reassure their brother and later she would get locked in her room for her efforts, yet she remained doing the same over and over.

He did not want to be grounded, Peter understood very quickly that he would get in trouble if he joined them in their games, so he rejected Judith and only watched from the sidelines.

Simon was a shock to the system, none of the adults or help of the house did or say anything to the old man waltzing in, it made Peter unbearably curious, so he took to follow him around. Thinking himself clever until the old man disappeared and when he turned around he was there.

He froze in terror, if he told anyone he would be grounded.

The man smiled and asked if he wanted to hear some stories, he had lots of them, why Peter could just sit and let him talk no need to say anything back! He hesitated, but he wanted to hear the old man so he followed. Simon sat in the garden and started to tell him stories about the sea.

If he had to be honest, those times he managed to spend with Simon were the happiest memories he had in the mansion. Sometimes he would ruffle his hair and complimented him whenever he managed to mumble an answer to a question as if it was an achievement. It made him feel…

Made him feel seen and cared for.

He knew that at the house that was the worst thing he could feel, everytime he expected a maid to bring him in and get locked up for the thought, but it never happened. His room only had his clothes and the necessary items for class there was nothing personal there. He tried to imagine the ocean that Simon described, there were a few pictures in the science books he had but it was most likely not even close to the vast place the man told him about.

Peter wanted to see…

But he knew it was not meant to be, his family would not let him have that, just like it didn't give anything to their siblings.

Sometimes though, he managed to believe that he might be their mothers favourite, only because he would get the occasional gift, left in his bed.

His oldest sisters did seem to think so. Well Clara did at least, always saying awful comments about him whenever they crossed paths, it made him flinch even when he wanted to just let it go. It stung, he should not care what she thought, what anyone thought.

Not Judiths and Aaron’s sad faces at his rejections and eventually their resignation. 

Peter was going to be what their family wanted, there wasn't any other choice, his siblings, the staff, the family itself had already chosen the fact that he was to be something. 

He wasn't even sure what is it that they wanted from him.

Even Simon seemed to just let it happen too, he came and visited more often, but he didn't try to get him either.

Then there was Lydia, she had no outward reaction to him, she was quiet and mysterious, he didn't even know why she wasn't picked for whatever is that their family wanted, if Peter got stuff from rejecting his siblings, Lydia did it even more.

She was everything he wanted to be, his oldest sister was unaffected by the comments Clara did, did not react to Judith and Aaron’s sad faces. 

Lydia didn't even see Peter.

That strangely made him want her to notice him, everytime she didn't it felt like ice through his skin and it made him feel like he was going through fog.

One day Clara was gone.

She left during the night, no one mentioned it or questioned it.

Peter saw Lydia look through the windows with an air of apathy and he wanted to emulate her, but found himself lacking. Simon looked at him sadly every time he watched Lydia, it felt too much like pity for him.

Peter liked changing rooms, particularly to the one with the window, one day he found while looking around boredly at a carved LL, he figured it was her sister’s initials, not a single other room had it, so she must have marked it because she liked this one better. It was a secret, he knew something about Lydia that none of the others did.

It was like the forest around the mansion he wanted to be the one to explore it, albeit he knew that more Lukases had probably done or thought the same.

Things were quiet, Simon had not come to visit in a long while and Peter was rather… lonely if he had to be honest.

He rejected Judith that day and uncharacteristically for her, told him that she won't bother him anymore if he really wants to be left alone.

It really struck him, Judith had finally given up on him. Aaron just looked elsewhere and went with her holding her hand.

Peter walked around the grounds for a while, but could not calm down. Clara was gone, but her comments resonated too, along with Judiths and Aarons faces.

He felt his eyes prickle and found himself in great grandfather Mordechai's study. Crying was not something he did often, he got used soon enough to the fact that no one would come if he cried while younger and resolved to be quiet.

It didn't work as he wished. He would let out a sporadic sob and sniff, Peter tried, but he couldn't even be as cold as everyone wanted him to be.

He spent the rest of the afternoon there, the cold surrounded him and it felt like a balm, like slowly his worries were nothing, it was peaceful and quiet. The cold never expected anything out of him, it couldn't hurt him. It was more like a companion that anyone else has ever been.

A week and a half later he was sleeping peacefully and dreaming of a cold shore when he was shaken awake. He struggles in a panic, not used to anyone waking him. Lydia looks at him and Peter is truck with the fact it's the first time he has seen her sister scared.

“We need to leave, all of us, please Peter '' They can't, they can't leave the house, where would they even go? He looks at Lydia who is staring right back at him, she is seeing him and waiting for his choice.

Peter can stay or he can leave, it's really up to him.

It strikes him that it's the first time someone has given him the choice to choose what he wants to do and it was Lydia who did it.

Slowly he gets up, if they fail the punishment will be terrible, but if it doesn't…

if it doesn't he wonders if he can finally see the ocean like Simon described.

He changes and when he sees that Judith and Aaron are there he thinks and decides to go for it. This will be their only chance, so he picks up the money he had been taking from their mothers purse and follows.

Lydia walks through the woods with a security he envies, he knew that others must have explored before him, but he liked to think it was only him.

They reach the city and he looks at the sighs, Judith and Aaron look nervously at Lydia and ask where they are going, she mentions Simon and he frowns. The man wont help them, he is nice but he wouldn't take him before. Why would it change?

Still he follows.

Eventually she asks for them to hold her hand to make sure not to lose them and Peter panics a little, he doesn't want to- but when he looks at her, Lydia is looking forwards in determination, when she looks to the side slightly her lips go up and Peter slowly and hesitantly holds her hand. She doesn't crush her grip. She holds him softly as if scared of hurting him and it makes his chest feel warm, it's the opposite of the cold and it's weird, it feels unnatural, but also nice.

They reach the house and he is exhausted. He is leaning against Lydia and she is carrying Aaron while Judith also stumbles around. Simon offers him a room and he looks to Lydia to make sure it's ok, she looks softly at him and nods, so he follows Simon and once in the bed he passes out.

They stay.

Lydia is now Stella Fairchild.

It's weird and he doesn't like it, in fact he hates most of the things that happen next. The other Fairchild kids try to make friends with them, Peter doesn't know how, they are loud and cheerful, when he is used to quiet and subdued.

Judith and Aaron struggle a little at first, but unlike him they manage. He sees Stella smile at them and it makes him angry, so in turn he closes off more.

She offers to tag along with him, but it feels close to pity, look at him unable to make friends! 

Then she tells him no more homeschooling now they need to actually go to a school with other childrens.

He hates it immediately, so much noise and kids, he wants the quiet and to stay at home with them.

Peter doesn't understand why Lydia insists on making them socialize, why does it matter so much! He tells her he wants to study at the mansion, but she rebuffs him

“No, we can't, not if we want things to be better” Better from what??! 

“I don't want better, I just want to be alone!” Finally he sees her angry face and it reminds him too much of Clara.

“Well why come along! Why not stay there and still be miserable there you-” He runs off, Peter wanted to have a choice, he wanted to see the ocean and not be a disappointment.

He gets none of those things.

Simon comes to talk with him while he is sitting in the balcony of his new room.

“Now, why don't you tell me why is it that you hate school so much huh?”

He remains quiet hoping the old man will give up on him.

“Stella is trying Peter, she just wants you to be safe and im going to tell you a secret, no one knows what they are doing, not the kids at your new school nor the grown ups, i myself don't know what i will do until im doing it!” He sits with him and winks making him smile a little. 

He plays with the ends of his sweater and after a while mumbles.

“Why did Lydia change her name? Why will going to school keep us safe? Safe from what i don't understand! It will be too loud and the kids will mock me and-” Simon puts a hand on his back and tells him to take a breath.

“She never felt like she fit and Stella is what she likes. Now as for your other questions, i… suppose i must apologize i sometimes forget that you don't get told this stuff until you are older. Or like Stella, figure it out on your own. She probably will be mad at me for telling you, but you deserve to know ok? So pay attention” He does.

Simon explains fear, about loneliness and the open space, how insignificant we are. He tells him about a man making a list of all 14 albeit there could be more. In his times there were less, fear changes and new ways emerge.

“Stella wants to keep you safe from Forsaken you see, out of all of them you were the closest to it”

“But she-”

“Ah, well she was also vast and she made a choice for all of you, to be a Fairchild to be able to look after you. She worries, that is the point. So now you know, make your choice ok?”

Peter thinks and mulls it over and in the end resigns himself to school.

It was as awful as he expected, the kids were loud and teased him. The teachers made him answer questions and he got too nervous to answer them in front of the class.

He does homework and takes the tests, but he is frightened and the other kids make it no easier.

The way letters on the pages sort of blur when he tries to read, make it harder still and he feels like a failure. His siblings were doing so much better and he is falling behind, so maybe it would have been better if he stayed.

Simon is the only one he trusts as grown ups come, his teachers all try to get him to socialize and it frightens him.

The man has to leave eventually, he holds his hand until he ruffles his hair and promises to bring him something cool, then he jumps from the window and he is gone.

Peter is alone.

At night he goes outside and sits on the stairs of the entrance, he still cant manage to cry quietly. Suddenly he hears footsteps and Ly- Stella is there he tries to clean his face, but she sits next to him

She tells him she likes the stars and that she was also suffering at school.

Peter wasn't alone, Stella mentions Judith's cooking and Aarons weird buildings and he hesitates. When she says that he was the reason why she took all of them he felt his eyes prickle again.

Then for the first time in his life she tells him that she loves him and Peter caves, he puts his hand on top of hers and tells her what he likes.

They stay there until he shivers and Stella gives him her coat and smiles at him. 

Peter feels warm despite the chilling cold.

He drops to her room more often and stays there to read, until she figures he needs glasses, the embarrassment lasts until he realizes he could read the pirate novels far more quickly.

At dinner he compliments Judith's food and she looked like she wanted to cry out of happiness.

Aaron wants to build with him the model Simon gave him, but he really wanted to do it himself so he offers to help build a skyscraper instead, his brother smiles and tells him that he is just happy with him being there. 

He smiles at him and they play.

Peter helped Judith to cook, as it turns out he loves desserts and they have fun making stuff, even if it comes out wrong he tries it since Judy looks so happy when he does and well… Peter really likes sweets. Sometimes he wishes that Stella would join them, but she always makes an excuse and watches instead. Judith looks funny when she does and Peter feels like he missed something.

Following his siblings became a common thing. It was funny to just randomly appear to them and startle them.

Stella and Simon go to his school and later that week the kids who teased him stopped completely, not only that but his teacher doesn't ask him to answer questions in front of the class anymore.

He is happy, so he makes two tiny cakes for them.

Steall squeezes his hand and thanks him while Simon ruffles his hair.

His cheeks hurt from smiling so much when he gets to his room.

Thay go to the beach and he is in love. The ocean was just as wonderful as Simon described, when they spend the afternoon and night at the ship all five of them Peter thinks he wants this to last forever.

To stretch this point in time for eternity.

Good things don't last.

When they go back and he goes out of school a woman that looks a lot like Stella waits for him. It takes him a moment to realize that is his mother.

She smiles thinly at him and with dread he follows her to the limousine.

Mother doesn't speak, but he feels the disappointment in the air.

At the mansion his uncles wait for him, he already feels cold, but unlike before where it was a companion now it feels like a threat.

He sees fog at his feet and realizes that he went from being with the fog to be prey for it.

Peter is terrified of being alone, now that he knows what it's like to have his siblings.

Stella comes and he cant follow, the cold nips at him and its too late, then- 

Then his mothers slaps Stella when she tries to reach him and he wants her to drown.

He wants her to know how small and insignificant she made them feel and how she tried to drown them in the house. He doesn't really realize that her mother and uncles are all choking until Stella holds him.

She is hugging him to his chest and she laughs. Peter clings to her and feels tears in his eyes.

Stella came for him; she loves him, Peter is not alone anymore.

Running out of the building he feels suddenly weightless like he started to float and then like he was going under the water, but it felt-

It felt like home.

It was him and Stella and soon they were at home and Judy and Aaron were piling up on them and he felt perfectly in place. He smiles against her sister's neck.

Peter loves his siblings.

Stella was his favourite if he had to say the truth, he cared for Judy and Aaron and later on he would get along with Clara. But he loved his sister the most.

He wanted to make her proud and happy, he always lived with the fear and terror that one day she would realize how much of a burden he was, how all of them were and leave them, that taking them along had been a mistake.

The thought of Stella just not caring for them anymore was awful.

When she left to live on her own, the three of them didn't know what to do, Aaron locked himself in his room and cried, Judith tried to keep the peace, but he knew she was sleeping bad, if the bags under her eyes were to be trusted.

Peter?

Peter walked across the state and tried not to think about Stella forgetting about them.

In his room he had pictures, he realized that he enjoyed taking them so he got himself a camera with his allowance and started to take pictures of the state and more importantly his siblings. Typically you let them know you take pictures, but Peter likes the more natural expression he could get from taking them by surprise. It felt more real to him.

So he took funny pictures of everyone. He had found that his siblings will sleep everywhere so he has pictures of them falling asleep in the weirdest places.

His favourite was of Judith hanging upside down from the couch.

When Simon told him about the notThem he got a polaroid camera and took pictures of all his siblings' faces. He wrote their names and notes telling him they were the real ones.

Caring about others brought fear over, but most of the time it was worth it.

He looks at the pictures and the album he hides and thinks.

When Aaron tells him he broke into Stella’s place and made a copy of her key he asks for one too.

Peter goes to her place at night and eats her food.

It's not out of any evil reason, it's actually rather silly even clumsy. He figures that if he does it Stella will be reminded of him and it would be harder for her to forget about them.

Soon he finds his favourite cereal in the pantry and notes about please making sure to put things to wash. He reads them and takes them to put in the picture album, not before leaving the bowl out in defiance.

Later he calls, at first he doesn't know what to stay, so Stella puts it on speaker and tells him what she is painting or sometimes cooking. He feels much better and little by little he offers some comments or stories of his own.

He thinks his siblings love Stella just as much as he does and he thinks she does the same. His sister always comes to all their events to help them, picks up the phone at the oddest hour for them and looked after them when they get sick even as grown ups. It was a fact that Stella would appear with soup and medicine if you called her.

She tries is the point, which is why he doesn't understand why sometimes she looks… sad, mostly when they are all together, he will be cooking with Judith or talking with Aaron with the signs they made and when he sees Stella she looks at them fondly but sad.

He never really paid attention until he took a surprise picture once and realized that she was always by herself.

Clara would hang out with Ju and Aaron. On some of the pictures Simon took of all of them she would be on the side while everyone was at the front.

Peter felt weird at seeing her like that, the old fear of her leaving them came by so he made himself be more obnoxious on purpose. It seemed to make her laugh.

Peter’s world consisted of the vast, his siblings, Simon and his “friends” by that he means Mikaele and Thadeus.

However one day he meets Elias and he can't fathom the weird feeling he got from him so when in doubt he calls Stella in a panic, she grumbles and tells him he just wants to make out with him so he hangs up.

Of course he doesn't think about kissing Bouchard, that smug, sharp looking, smooth talking bastard.

….

He ends up asking him for another bet, and another and suddenly they are dating.

Simon was laughing when he told him it was not fair.

Oh but Peter always assumed the sea would be his only love, he never expected to meet the insufferable, short,unhinged man what a delightful creature he was! All petty and pretty with an ambition that made him look astonished at him.

Peter loved him, but he wasn't about to make his ego grow, so he did not mention all the ways he found him wonderful, instead he bantered and lightly bullied him. If he was feeling way to sappy he would hide a compliment in a joke and Elias would laugh and his cheeks would redden and Peter wanted nothing more than to kiss him all over.

He wanted to hold him and kiss him, when he saw him make one of his employees cry out of nervousness while being completely calm he felt like someone had stolen the ground from his feet, he was breathtakingly handsome. Where he floundered Elias thrived, he was daydreaming about the man very often and the idea of just asking him to marry came to him from time to time.

He did not tell his siblings any of that, they would tease him mercilessly and by god he won't let that happen.

Mikaele was of course an arse about it, no idea why he told him.

“Oh you have it bad my friend, truly bad! Bouchard, i can't believe”

“Please don't, no idea why did i even bother telling you”

“Surprised you did, figure you would tell dear Stella first” They way he said his sister’s name made him look mildly annoyed at him.

“Can you not?”

“Oh, I'm sorry, does it bother you that I speak with her? She is a very intelligent and delightful woman” 

“Please can you not flirt with my sister?! Actually don't talk with her!”

“What a jealous little brother, isn't she old enough to make her choices? Besides if i stopped i'm fairly sure her friend account would go to zero” He looks sharpy at him. “That I believe is no good for her, don't you agree?” He stiffens and relents, Peter does worry about Stella.

“Fine, FINE! Just don't be gross!”

“I would never, she is a girl with class my friend. Now i have a bet and i….”

He hates that Mikaele flirts with his sister, the first time they meet and they start talking he almost throws himself down the pier, Stella was amused and responded in kind to Mikaele making him cringe. No, not in a million years would he let that happen.

Seeing his sister standing next to the gian man, even taller than him and getting a view of Mikaekla kissing her hand while she giggled. “GIGGLED!!!” gave him a headache.

So he very carefully tells her that he would like it if she didn't steal his friend, trying to get her away from Salesa’s way. He was more concerned about him that he barely saw the way her smile dimmed. Quickly she recovered and told him not to worry, she would never do that.

He soon forgot about it.

Salesa of course didn't let him forget, he liked to bully him, still the bet was fun so he took it.

Proposing by accident was not on his plans, but he doesn't regret it. He would love to spend his time with Elias and call him his husband.

Oh he intends to spoil the man rotten with gifts.

So when he says yes, he calls to let his siblings know the good news, Stella was a little more concerned, but he knew that if they met Elias they would love him too!

The dinner was a little awkward, but they all seemed to get along! So maybe his plan was working, he knows that they have things in common, Aaron and Elias like architecture, his fiance loves deserts so he can talk with Judith, Clara and Elias is a little bit harder, but his lovely siren has a penchant for barely self restrained violence that is so lovely, Clara is the same so maybe they can bond over that!

Stella is a little bit harder, she loves her art, but Elias prefers portraits rather than landscapes, mm there has to be something they can talk about.

In the meantime he arranges for more lunches and dinners. He starts to notice though, that his fiance and Stella look more and more strained in each dinner, making him suspicious. His siblings seemed to try and get to know Elias, but his siren seemed to like to know them firts.

He jokes with him that they dont bite and that they will love him like he does. Elias smiles at him, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

Then the disastrous dinner, he makes Stella nauseous and chases Elias who tells him in a clipped voice that he will return the ring and that he would like to stop what they had, clearly it was not working with him and his family and he doesn't want to cause further conflict.

He leaves and Peter goes back to his apartment, there are a lot of stuff from Elias there, so he elects to stay in his quarters on his ship instead.

The next few days are spent on a haze, he visits Judith and Aaron, they admit that they were wary about Elias and that they were actually intimidated by him, he never answered them and made thinly veiled comments that made them uncomfortable. Peter knew that the other wasn't actually trying to be mean, they talked about it at some point, he was just nervous about his siblings.

Clara, took one look at him and went with him to set something on fire, once done she procured a picture of Stella strapped it to a mannequin and told him to hit it or set it on fire. Peter did not want to do that, he was mad at her, but he didnt hate her.

Still, he, with Clara’s prompting, set it on fire, he felt really bad afterwards.

In fact he felt awful when Judith lightly mentioned that the dizzy spell he gave Stella lasted an entire day, he hadnt meant to, he just wanted her to stay in place, not hurt her.

Eventually she came to him and asked about Elias, she sat giving him space and did not make eye contact, not physical ç. She sat there and listened and once he finished she apologized again and told him she would fix things.

Then she was gone.

A few days later he got a call from Elias asking to meet in their favourite restaurant, the dinner was awkward and stilted, but the man apologized profusely. By the time he accompanied him to his apartment they were holding hands.

He admitted to having let his fears get the worst of him and that he took it out on Stella, she came by and convinced him to try again and to be more open to the rest to not make them feel bad. 

Peter listened and played with his hand, when he was done he kissed his knuckles softly adn told him that he loved him and his siblings and that he did not want to choose one or the other.

“you wont i promise to not get too wrapped up in my own head this time, i .. promised Stella too, i think- i think we could get along, we have some similar issues” He looks at him in question but he shakes his head.

“It's up to her to say, i wont- i wont get myself involved and mess things up ok?” Sighting he kisses him softly and it feels like home.

Peter was avoiding her,he knew. Elias assumed he went to visit her like usual when he left during the night, and by god he wanted to, but he was also ashamed and embarrassed and still a little bit mad at her.

“You know it's like the pot calling back the kettle right?” Mikaele looks amusedly at him.

“I don't know what you mean”

“You are mad at her for getting involved in your love life, yet you and your siblings have not done the same?” He looks bewildered at him.

“What are you even about”

“Peter, you can say that asking her to not hang out with me is because you are embarrassed all you like, but is that not just taking away a decision for her? How about the times she presented you some of her “coworkers” that none of you liked? Some of them could have been something more, but you all rejected them for a reason or another. You all have some complexes about her it's easy to see, but the fact that none of you seem to really _see_ her, beyond the way you have all pictured her in your heads says a lot”

He scowls and turns to look at him coldly.

“I don't thinks is your business”

“No, but i do like her, she is a very intelligent, funny, capable and caring woman, but she is more than just your sister and none of you seem to actually want to see that you might be hurting her”

“We aren't-!”

“Not on purpose, but you might be doing it without meaning too. She is just too polite to say anything. Anyways, congrats on getting back together let me know when its the wedding i'm a sucker for those” He pats his shoulder and goes away, leaving him feeling even more confused and upset.

  
  


He assumed that his siblings were talking and seeing Stella, the dinner with only the four of them was his idea, he was still trying to wrap his head with what he was feeling and what Mikaele said. 

It was… nice.

Elias kept his word and his siblings looked far more at ease, still it was obvious the empty space that should be for Stella.

  
  


Simon appearing out of nowhere telling him about he needs help to convince Elias of something was more of an inconvenience, he could have just waited for the next day.

“Well, perhaps, but there is a chance that we might not really be able to get Stella unstuck from forsaken, i mean i'm fairly sure she has been there for two weeks and who knows how long that has been for her already! Honestly Mordechai once told me that he kept a man stuck there for three days before his bones were found so-” Simon talks fast, the more he speaks the more he catches onto what he said and he feels faint.

“What do you mean in forsaken wha- how??! How did she- why- it doesn't” His breathing comes in short puffs, he doesn't understand, there is no reason for Stella to be in forsaken she is- she has them! She wouldnt- wouldnt leave them.

“Hey, hey look listen to me ok? Take a breath, there, there we go, now out and repeat. I have an idea to help, but I need your assistance. Elias has lots of things in the institute and has observed forsaken and the Lukases for a long while so he can help, but he is the sort of person who watches and doesn’t act so you need to convince him to help. I know it's terrifying, but you have to calm down. Now tell Thadeus to man the ship and come along ok?” 

“Was it our- the, the Lukas that did it? M- Mother perhaps…?” Its the only thing that makes sense, Stella wouldn't get lonely, it must have been mother or his uncles who finally got tired of her.

“Oh my boy, I do not think it was the Lukases at all, Stella just-” His face contorts in despair because it's the one thing he was afraid would happen.

“Im- Ill tell Thaddeus”

He gets there and lets him know and the man looks worridly at him, but tells him to go and that he will take care of things.

Once with Simon they jump and end up at the institute.

He lets the old man speak and he just watches Elias until he gets the look when he is watching something for the eye.

Elias doesn't want to help, he just- he just wants to see Stella be-

His face panics at his words and he tells them that she is alive and to wait so he can get something to go to forsaken.

He lets out a breath and feels his world tilt sideways.

  
  


His lovely siren admits to be the reason why his siblings left her alone and that she may had to deal with some awful thoughts on her own. He is very pissed off at him, but he does love him, albeit if she dies he really will kill him.

It is only fair.

Elias threatening back should not be as nice as it was, he can respect a man that will be willing to fight for what he wants and oh he looks deranged.

One day he will be the death of him and Peter would be glad.

The apartment reminded him of Mooreland so much it made his knees weak, he felt like he was 8 again and the fog was eating at his shings in wait.

Judith was holding Aaron while they cried and Clara patted them trying to be supportive but failing miserably, he could see her tears melt.

They all still cried the same way. even himself.

“Ok kids! Listen up, according to Elias here, Stella is still alive, but we need to hurry this along, so what did you bring to get into the lonely” He looks at Elias while his siblings turn to them.

Sighting he opens a box and there is a locket there.

“This locket was proven to take people into forsaken before, now the only real way to leave is to think of… connections, of people that love you and you love back as cheesy as it sounds. When you find her, you need to make sure you both think of all the reasons you have to come back” He hesitates and puts the necklace on his hand.

“Do not drop it, but don't put it on ok? Remember that”

“Wait- I’ll go he doesnt- he doesnt have to go, I messed up things and-” Clara looks at them wiping her face angrily.

“No, no it was- it was my fault I should go for Stella. I always made her feel left out it was on me i-” Judy stands up and can't stop crying but reaches out.

“No, as lovely as it sounds, none of you have a strong connection to forsaken. If you use that without it you just become trapped. Peter…. Peter is the only one who has been marked enough to make it” Elias sounds pained at that and he holds his hand with their engagement rings.

“But! It almost took him once, he can't-” Aaron jumps up and frowns.

“I'm going and I'm getting her back, I promise, just trust me on this ok?”

They all look at him and hesitate but slowly nod.

He turns to Elias.

“A kiss for good luck?” He smiles thinly.

“How about this, I give you one only if you come back? Remember that please… I Love you” He pats his chest a few times and coffs when Judy makes an aww and Clara an eugh.

“Hold this and just… close your eyes”

Peter looks around the room to his siblings, to Elias and Simon and does as told.

The feeling is… familiar, like an old friend coming to receive him, he remembers as a child feeling comforted by the coldness that let him forget his sadness.

When he opens them again the room is empty.

Blinking he sees Stella’s apartment in hazes of grey along with fog covering the floor, he holds the locket and starts to look for his sister, but something is clearly wrong for no matter the room he couldn't find her. He tries to see her, but she is nowhere to be found. 

Elias claims she was still alive so what gives?

It's not until he passes the hallway with the entrance door that he sees its slightly ajar.

Walking to it he opens the door and is startled to recognize the view.

The outside hallway has turned into the room hallway from Mooreland house, he sees his old room along with those of his siblings, when he steps in he finally can hear soft crying.

He knows the crying well. its Judith and Aaron’s as childrens. Peter knows his real siblings are currently adults in Stella’s real apartment, so despite the discomfort he keeps walking, he holds the necklace with one hand and plays with his engagement ring with his thumb, it grounds him.

Walking through the mansion makes him feel small, despite being much more taller than when he last was there. Everything looks the same, but… he also notices things that are wrong, like a patchwork there are parts that look like the Fairchild manor stitched up in place. Like a weird fusion of both places.

He passes a window and he has to do a double take for he sees himself and his siblings as kids playing outside.

They are wrong, they look monochromatic and their laughter seemed like a recording, it was unnerving. Advancing he ignores it, he has to find Stella and bring her home nothing else, his sister will be fine.

She has to.

The place is unfortunately huge, he passes room after room where he sees child versions of his siblings and himself doing something, sometimes they are in the Fairchild mansion others it's just them being quiet and miserable in the Lukas state. He doesn't understand the point of it.

Forsaken is about loneliness. Why show Stella her siblings? Shouldn't the view help her come back?

In one room he sees Stella, not the one he was looking for, but a child version of her, far younger than he ever remembers seeing her.

She was huddled in one side of the room holding her legs. He recognizes it as Mordechai’s study. She mustn't be more than 9, he opens the door more and watches her face scrunch up.

“Go away Peter” He opens his mouth, but realizes she wasn't talking with him, a very small version of himself entered without him realizing.

The child looks at her and walks forward in shaky legs, he is around three he thinks.

“ _Leave me alone!”_ He stops and starts to grab his shirt in what later on he would call anxiousness.

“Sssorrry”

She looks up and he sees her lip quiver, the child starts to retreat and he sees her make an aborted motion with her hand as if trying to stop him, but ultimately deciding not to bother.

The child leaves and she goes back to put her head between her legs. He can see her shoulders shaking and realizes that there is no sound.

She lifts her face one more time and he sees her crying in complete silence and he feels like he got slapped. He knows how all of his siblings cry, they all make noise, all but Stella, he never saw her cry. Now he realizes that he just never even heard her, the only one out of all five who managed to cry silently like their family wanted.

Peter stumbles out of the room feeling like he got hit by a train emotionally.

He wants to go back and pick up Stella.

Shaking his head he reminds himself it's not real… and if it already happened there was nothing he could do.

He sees more rooms with his siblings, some of them have Stella now, but he notices that she is always further away or they are from times they didn't want her participating in their projects.

In the kitchen he sees Judith yell at Stella to let her have her own hobby and look for her own, his sister looks-

Looks sad.

Judith looks mad and scared.

When he walks further away he sees Stella cooking during the night on her own.

His hands twitch and he wants to again grab her and take her away.

His finger touches his ring and he calms down, not real, not real, go for the real Stella.

There is a room with all of them and he sees Aaron and him talking in their own language with Judith commenting, he remembers this fondly they were making jokes and having fun. Stella walks in and asks what was so funny, his sister giggles and says they were making jokes.

“Oh? Can you tell me one?” The younger him makes one and Aaron laughs with Judith, Stella looks lost.

“Ju?”

“It's a pun, it- i can't really make the right approximation without losing its meaning”

“Ah! I see, very clever Peter!” He felt proud about the praise back then, but he realizes the strained look she had now. Stella didn't really know what they were saying and no one offered to show her.

He thinks he understands the point of the house now.

It doesn't matter that it shows her his siblings, what matters is that it shows how disconnected she was from them.

Finally he reaches a door he recognizes, its Stella’s room from Mooreland, the one with the window with the carved initials.

Opening it he sees Stella, the real grown up version of her sitting in the bed looking out of the window. What strikes him is her hair, her once blonde hair has turned white like snow, she is pale and he wonders how is her face.

“Go away Peter” He looks for the child, but it's only him.

“Stella?” She doesnt turn and doesn't answer “We need to go back home, everyone is worried about you-” He hears her make a scoffing sound.

“I doubt it… you are all much better without me, you have each other and dont need me… don't think you ever really did” Her tone is soft and matter of fact.

Ok no, fuck that.

“I don't know how to tell you how wrong you are in a way you will understand, but let's just say we can get to it later, now let's go” He steps further inside and she slowly turns around, her face is paler than usual, he can see her veins and her eyes look empty.

“I like it here, sadness is muffled”

“You were worried it might take me, well i'm worried you are here so please do come over”

She doesn't move.

“Stella?”

“... i think this is always what was meant to happen, even if i had left on my own, being part of the vast just bought me time, but the lonely never leaves does it? It was silly to think i could leave it behind”

“No, no it's not, you did, we all did, you helped all of us, I would be stuck in that mansion on my own! I would have become just what mother and uncle wanted its not-”

“I really did try… i truly did, i thought it was enough to love all of you, but it wasn't enough. Its… its ok you are all old enough to be on your own i won't bother you anymore” He wants to scream and shake her.

“We love you! We want you back, its just- its just a misunderstanding nothing more-”

“I don't even know who i am if i'm not looking after all of you, i don't have- anything, you will all leave and im i got nothing, no one else”

“There is Simon! Mikaele, Elias wants to get to know you better! There are others you don't- you have more! Aren't… aren't we enough?” His voice breaks off and his grip on the necklace slackens a little.

“You are Stella, our sister and… we love you, I love you, you like Judith's cooking, Aaron’s buildings to jump from, you like to tease me and drop on my ship to prank my crew! To paint with Simon and team up with Salesa to tease me”

Stella looks at him more so he keeps going.

“I- you told me once that you didn't know what i liked and that it was because of me that you took all of us, well i don't- if you don't know what you like… figure it out and tell me, tell all of us, if we bother you or hurt you, tell us so we stop! I want you to come with me, just this once let us take care of YOU!”

He sees her move slowly and get up, yes, YES!

“Are you leaving?” He freezes and turns around seeing himself at 9. Stella looks at the small version of himself whose lip is already shaking.

“Lydia?” His sister looks at the child in question.

“He is not real, im here, im real”

“Ste-”

“Lyd-”

His sister moves and approaches the child and very carefully kneels down.

“No, i- im not leaving you, it's ok Peter, I promise to do better this time” She opens up her arms and the child hugs her hiding his face on her neck.

“Stella?”

“Im ok here, you should go back” His grip on the chain of the locket goes slack and he almost drops it, quickly he grabs it with both hands “You are too old for me to hold you hand, you can go back on your own i think”

He feels cold all over and his eyes start to prickle.

“Fine, fine im- im going back on.. on my own i don't “ She doesn't move.

“I- '' He can't think why he should go back, what will he even say? Sorry i failed, i couldn't bring her back, she would rather live with a bunch of fake versions of ourselves relieving how we alienated her? 

How useles does he has to be.

God, no wonder Elias wanted nothing to do with him once he found out where his family came from they are all messes. 

He would be better without him, they all woul-

“Im sorry Peter”

He is crying; Peter realizes he feels a sob trying to break through.

“Im so sorry…” He goes to drop the locket but a pair of cold hands hold it in place.

“Can't believe i forgot how much of a bunch of crybabies you all are”

He sniffs and with one hand cleans his face and realizes that Stella was crying, her face was blank and her tears were falling steadily, but her eyes were sad, not empty, just sad.

“Cmon, i guess you are not as old as i thought if you need me to lead the way”

“Lydia? Lydia please don't leave me! Please i will be good i-” Stella turns and gives a soft kiss on the forehead of the fake.

“I love you” The shape of the child flickers “I will always love you Peter” She grabs his hand and pulls him to the hallway. His palm feels sweaty, but she doesn comment, she grabs him as if he would break and despite his own hand being bigger he feels like the same kid she woke up one night to take him away.

While they walk there are no more visions of his siblings anywhere, it's quiet.

“Are you coming back?”

Stella hums.

“I think… i think i want to take a vacation, the beach sounds lovely this time of the year”

“... Stella?”

“And i think… i will like to take on Mikaele’s offer to travel with him for awhile”

He stays quiet.

They stop.

“Peter, I love you, I love all of you and I will always be there if any of you need me ok?”

“Ok..”

“But i think i need to be on my own, i won't be lonely, but i want to go and do my own thing for awhile”

He feels his hand sweat and he almost lets go.

“Do you understand?”

He doesn't, but if it's really what she needs…

“Yes”

Stella looks at him, really does and after a while smiles.

“You don't, but it's ok. Once i come back from my trip i want to have dinner with Elias, i will tell him all the embarrassing stories i have about you”

“Please don't” 

“Oh i will, he is after all my new little brother in law”

Oh my god

“God he will hate that”

“Yes, yes he will”

“Stella…?”

“Yes?”

“... Will you let us take care of you”

“.... i don't know. All i know is to look after you, i thought that if i let myself break down, who would you all count on”

“You of course, you saw all of us at our worst”

“i cant promise, but i will try to be.. more open with how I feel. I dont- I dont resent any of you, Elias said that while we fought and he- he wasn't wrong but also not right. I'm mad at the situation that put all of us into the path we are in. I don't hate or resent you, i love all of you so much”

“I love you too Stella” She squeezes his hand and gives him a small smile.

“Now, i don't think i have a choice whether you look after me or not. Im sure im going to get jumped the moment we go back”

“That's probably true”

They finally reach the door that leads them to her apartment. 

“So? Now what?”

“Elias said to think about what we love and why do we want to go back”

“Chezzy” He snorts.

“He said the same thing”

“Hmm i think i might start to like him”

“Ok, ok just relax and-”

“Peter? Chill, i'll be there i promise, i told you”

He looks at her and sighs he thinks about the little girl crying quietly and regretting telling him to go.

Peter drops her hand and hugs her instead.

“Pe-”

“Im sorry you were alone, i love you please come back”

Slowly she lets her head rest against his chest and she hugs him back.

“I love Judith, Aaron, Clara, Simon and you, i want to go back home now”

He thinks about Elias and his siblings and slowly the room picks up on temperature, just for a second, and he swears he didnt panic like an idiot, he felt his arms go trhough Stella.

As sudden as it happened, it passed and she was there.

They were both there.

Looking around it was night, he saw his siblings all sleeping on the couch, the floor and Elias on a mattress that someone pulled there.

Of course he would't sleep on the floor the little scamp.

“Looks like you managed to pull her back!” He hears the yell whisper of Simon from the kitchen.

“And you both have a new look! How dazzling” Blinking confusedly he sees his reflection on the balcony’s window and sees that his hair has gotten more white streaks.

Well shit, he is in his thirties and somehow his hair looks like he is hitting his sixties, great, oh shit what will Elias think.

Stella turns and looks at her own reflection.

“It looks like a cloud”

Simon cackles and it wakes everyone up.

“Wha-”

“Holy-

“STELLA!

“PETER!”

Suddenly he has a deja vu and his siblings throw themselves at him and Stella.

They were all crying and apologizing profusely.

He feels Stella smile against his neck and he feels at ease, even with the new hairstyle. His lovely and beautiful future husband is looking at him with awe and if he was being particularly mean, a teary gaze.

Peter will tease him later.

They manage to sit down and the rest is talking to Stella who smiles tiredly at them, when she looks to Elias she offers him a hand and he takes it thinking she wanted to thank him, he snorts into her hair and knows she pulls him down into the pile and proceeds to force him to join the group hug.

Reaching around his back he hugs him to his chest and Stella sneaks her arms around his middle. Elias makes an undignified sound that startles out a laugh out of her. She laughs and laughs and suddenly everyone joins in.

His lovely siren is tense, but eventually sort of melts into his chest and actually puts a hesitant hand around his sister back in a half hug. 

“You promised a kiss?”

“Shut up”

Yet he leans forward and gives him a soft peck on the lips while half of his family giggled and the other groaned.

Peter has his family and love of his life all together finally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah i love this story so much. I think i will make an epilogue from Stella point of view and later make a spin off with just random bits of Peter being raised by Simon and some lonely eyes in this universe, for Peter is a giant sap now and there is no forsaken stopping him from being the simp he was meant to be.  
> Also lets see if the complete power of the siblings can make Elias less evil, who knows.  
> The lonely has such a fucking huge range to just- destroy you emotionally, for what is worse than having all the moments you felt alone thrown at your face constantly.  
> For those of you who commented, know that I love you, I really appreciate that you like my story and the way I portray the siblings.  
> I just really have feelings for the Lukas childrens and growing up lonely ok?

**Author's Note:**

> Yays i finished! I had this idea and needed to put it into words.  
> I hope you liked Stella and the rest of the Lukases in this universe.  
> Dunno if I want to make some snippets about this verse.  
> Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!


End file.
